Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has generally agreed with President Donald Trump on many of his policies, but after the White House released a statement Sunday saying it would cede the battle in Syria to Turkey and “other European nations”, the South Carolina senator expressed dismay.
“I don’t know all the details regarding President Trump’s decision in northern Syria. In process of setting up phone call with Secretary Pompeo,” Graham tweeted. “If press reports are accurate this is a disaster in the making.”
A few minutes later, Graham tweeted a list of consequences that would come as a result of Trump’s decision to remove troops from the region:
* Ensures ISIS comeback.
* Forces Kurds to align with Assad and Iran.
* Destroys Turkey’s relationship with U.S. Congress.
* Will be a stain on America’s honor for abandoning the Kurds.
* Ensures ISIS comeback.
* Forces Kurds to align with Assad and Iran.
* Destroys Turkey’s relationship with U.S. Congress.
* Will be a stain on America’s honor for abandoning the Kurds.— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 7, 2019
“Also, if this plan goes forward will introduce Senate resolution opposing and asking for reversal of this decision. Expect it will receive strong bipartisan support,” Graham followed up.
The White House said in its statement on Sunday that Trump had spoken with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the phone, and that Turkey would be responsible for removing ISIS from the region. The full statement:
Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey by telephone. Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria. The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial “Caliphate,” will no longer be in the immediate area.
The United States Government has pressed France, Germany, and other European nations, from which many captured ISIS fighters came, to take them back, but they did not want them and refused. The United States will not hold them for what could be many years and great cost to the United States taxpayer. Turkey will now be responsible for all ISIS fighters in the area captured over the past two years in the wake of the defeat of the territorial “Caliphate” by the United States.
Nearly a year ago, Graham also expressed his concerns about withdrawing troops from Syria. In December, Graham tweeted out an article from The Washington Post and said it was “America’s worst nightmare” to “have reliable allies — like the Kurds who have fought so bravely against ISIS — abandoned and destroyed.”
America’s worst nightmare is to have reliable allies — like the Kurds who have fought so bravely against ISIS — abandoned and destroyed.https://t.co/PQjFTbGCAc
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 21, 2018
Graham is not the only Republican senator who typically agrees with Trump to criticize the decision. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) also took to Twitter to express his concerns.
“If reports about US retreat in #Syria are accurate, the Trump administration has made a grave mistake that will have implications far beyond Syria,” Rubio tweeted. “It would confirm #Iran’s view of this administration & embolden then to escalate hostile attacks which in turn could trigger much broader & more dangerous regional war.”
It would confirm #Iran’s view of this administration & embolden then to escalate hostile attacks which in turn could trigger much broader & more dangerous regional war.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 7, 2019
Trump also explained his decision on Twitter, saying the U.S. “was supposed to be in Syria for 30 days,” but “that was many years ago.”
Trump said that under his administration, the U.S. “quickly defeated 100% of the ISIS Caliphate, including capturing thousands of ISIS fighters, mostly from Europe.”