U.S. senator warns against further Turkish incursions in Syria

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U.S. senator warns against further Turkish incursions in Syria

By Ahmed Aboulenein

 

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham speaks during a news conference at the United States embassy in Baghdad, Iraq July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Aboulenein

 

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Turkey could find itself in a quagmire if it deepens its involvement in Syria's multi-sided civil war, a U.S. senator said on Wednesday after meeting President Tayyip Erdogan this week.

 

Lindsey Graham, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Reuters on a visit to Baghdad that Turkey should support a continued U.S. presence in Syria.

 

Turkey has launched two military incursions into northern Syria in the last two years, driving back Kurdish YPG and Islamic State fighters.

 

Ankara is outraged by U.S. support for the YPG, considering the militia a terrorist organisation. It has threatened further operations against the militia across northern Syria, including in the town of Manbij where U.S. troops are stationed alongside YPG fighters.

 

"I tried to make the case that you want America in Syria because the outcomes of us leaving are not good," Graham said after meeting Erdogan in Turkey on a regional tour that also included northern Syria and Iraq.

 

"You don't want any further incursions in Syria by the Turkish military, you'll get yourself in a quagmire," he added.

 

Last month Washington and Ankara endorsed a tentative deal in which the YPG would withdraw from Manbij while Turkish and U.S. forces would jointly maintain security and stability. Turkey says its forces and the U.S. military are now carrying coordinated but separate patrols there.

 

Keeping YPG fighters east of the Euphrates river, about 20 km (12 miles) from Manbij, "should be sufficient", Graham said.

 

Turkish officials did not immediately respond to his comments.

 

(Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein; editing by David Stamp)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-05

[sammieuk1]

Erdogger just loves killing Kurds so the answer will be yes to anything that earns cash but just carry on as usual normal Turkish business.

[zaphod reborn]

Sorry Lindsey, in case you don't follow the news, your fearless leader abdicated his role to Putin with respect to Syria.  The US has absolutely no say in what goes on inside that country anymore.

[bristolboy]

Maybe Graham should assign a little less blame to the Turks and a bit more to Donald Trump.

First there was the massive stupidity of the US declaring the creation of an SDF force to patrol the border with Turkey. It was entirely predictable that the Turks would respond with rage. And to those who thought that rage was just for show, I've got one word for you: Afrin. Which was an utter disaster for the Kurds and a huge victory for the Turks.

 

Not just that. But just about when $200 million that has been marked to help Raqqa and vicinity recover, Trump pulled the plug on that.

 

Amid a fractured political and military landscape, Isis are quietly regrouping in Syria

Donald Trump has ordered US disengagement in Syria with funding cut to military and civil projects.

Kurdish forces that Washington used to fight Isis are now battling the Turkish military. And there is growing disenchantment among local people about taxes levied, and forced conscriptions by some of the West’s allies which had taken over the territories of Isis.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-syria-regrouping-islamic-state-assad-a8429446.html

 

Trump isn't alone to blame for this. The Kurds  were conscripting in the territories they conquered even where the locals aren't Kurdish. Local non-Kurds were understandably unhappy about that. In fact, when the Turks evicted Kurds from non-Kurdish areas, the locals were generally pleased because the Turkish occupiers weren't conscripting their children.

[Trouble]

8 hours ago, bristolboy said:

Maybe Graham should assign a little less blame to the Turks and a bit more to Donald Trump.

First there was the massive stupidity of the US declaring the creation of an SDF force to patrol the border with Turkey. It was entirely predictable that the Turks would respond with rage. And to those who thought that rage was just for show, I've got one word for you: Afrin. Which was an utter disaster for the Kurds and a huge victory for the Turks.

 

Not just that. But just about when $200 million that has been marked to help Raqqa and vicinity recover, Trump pulled the plug on that.

 

Amid a fractured political and military landscape, Isis are quietly regrouping in Syria

Donald Trump has ordered US disengagement in Syria with funding cut to military and civil projects.

Kurdish forces that Washington used to fight Isis are now battling the Turkish military. And there is growing disenchantment among local people about taxes levied, and forced conscriptions by some of the West’s allies which had taken over the territories of Isis.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-syria-regrouping-islamic-state-assad-a8429446.html

 

Trump isn't alone to blame for this. The Kurds  were conscripting in the territories they conquered even where the locals aren't Kurdish. Local non-Kurds were understandably unhappy about that. In fact, when the Turks evicted Kurds from non-Kurdish areas, the locals were generally pleased because the Turkish occupiers weren't conscripting their children.

This mess was started long before Trump became President.  Seems ridiculous to lay this at Trump's feet. Trump has made it clear he wants the US out of Syria. It's a quagmire of groups all wanting to carve out a piece of Syria for their own ethnic or religious supporters.  Unlike Senator Graham, I'm all for letting Putin, Assad, and Erdogan solve the problem. Let  the Russians have influence there. At least there will be a tight lid on the place and the US won't need to be involved.  Syria is a lost cause without Assad and a strong hand.  Not the business of the US to overthrow every dictator in the world.  You can bet if Assad wins back control, he will destroy anyone who supports ISIS and hopefully keep it under control.

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, Trouble said:

This mess was started long before Trump became President.  Seems ridiculous to lay this at Trump's feet. Trump has made it clear he wants the US out of Syria. It's a quagmire of groups all wanting to carve out a piece of Syria for their own ethnic or religious supporters.  Unlike Senator Graham, I'm all for letting Putin, Assad, and Erdogan solve the problem. Let  the Russians have influence there. At least there will be a tight lid on the place and the US won't need to be involved.  Syria is a lost cause without Assad and a strong hand.  Not the business of the US to overthrow every dictator in the world.  You can bet if Assad wins back control, he will destroy anyone who supports ISIS and hopefully keep it under control.

Not so long ago Trump supporters were crowng about the US defeat of ISIS. Now that Trump is snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, it's not his fault?