Sorry Kurds.
A bad situation in Northeast Syria is about to get much worse. Sources say that US officials have just informed the Syrian Kurds that Turkey is likely to attack on air and ground in next 24 hours. The United States, per Trmp’s ill-advised pullout, will do nothing. Targets are Tal Abyad and Ras al Ayn.
Ironically Tal Abyad was the main supply route for ISIS in 2014-15 through an open border from Turkey. Turkey refused repeated requests from US to shut the border. That’s a big reason why the US decided to partner with SDF (Syrian Defense Force), which took the town in the summer of 2015.
The Turkish attack appears coordinated with the Russians. Russian-backed forces are mobilizing to invade the Kurdish area from the south — towards Tabqa and other spots. Meanwhile, ISIS is mobilizing sleeper cells in Raqqa and attacks took place last night.
On top of that, we have the scary situation of the thousands of ISIS detainees and families, who may be breaking out of camps and prisons after the Turkish attack — with NO American back-up plan.
This is a major disaster coming at us because of Trump’s decisions.
— REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.): "Impossible to understand why @realDonaldTrump is leaving America's allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS." Not impossible at all. Trump himself said he has a “conflict of interest” because of Trump Towers Istanbul. Q.E.D.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) October 9, 2019
The US military has been ordered by President Trump not to help. https://t.co/Fm0J7H9BBJ
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019
I am told by well-placed source that POTUS "went off script" from national security team's talking points in his phone conversation with the Turkish President. US military source: "a lot of people will die, a complete withdrawal of US forces from Syria is now all but assured."
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019
Yeah… I don’t think Trump went “off script”. Trump doesn’t care about the script.
France calls for emergency UNSC meeting tomorrow over the Turkey incursion into Syria https://t.co/cHpSXYu5U5
— 👻 Ghoulia Macfarlane 🎃 (@juliamacfarlane) October 9, 2019
UPDATE: This is the weak response from the White House:
New from the White House: "This morning, Turkey, a NATO member, invaded Syria. The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea. There are no American soldiers in the area…" pic.twitter.com/boQBEbRfK4
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 9, 2019
“A bad idea”. That’ll scare ’em!