It is now a heavily bipartisan denouncement of Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from northern Syria.
In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell writes:
“I urge the President to exercise American leadership to keep together our multinational coalition to defeat ISIS and prevent significant conflict between our NATO ally Turkey and our local Syrian counterterrorism partners,” said McConnell. “Major new conflict between Turkey and our partners in Syria would seriously risk damaging Turkey’s ties to the United States and causing greater isolation for Turkey on the world stage.”
McConnell also said a withdraw will only help Syria’s Assad, Russia and Iran. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that says:
“The President’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Northern Syria is a deeply disturbing development that betrays our Kurdish allies who have been instrumental partners in our mission to eradicate ISIS. Despite what the President might say, ISIS remains a serious threat. This reckless, misguided decision undermines the efforts by our brave servicemembers and our allies to end ISIS’s tyranny,”
But it may be too late. There are reports of air strikes and artillery along the Iraqi-Syrian border.