Turkey fired its first shots against the Kurds overnight by bombing a key supply route on the Syria Iraqi border mere hours after President Trump orders US troops out, officials have confirmed.
Well, that didn't take long, less than 24 hours. Turkey is now officially at war in Syria with our now-former allies the Kurds, who were so instrumental in our
fight against ISIS. Funny way to treat an ally, don't you think? 🤔 This will go down as a very, very bad decision by President Trump, one that could possibly have a strong impact on the 2020 elections. An even worse decision by Trump is the invitation extended to Turkey president
Recep Tayyip Erdogan to come and
be a guest at the White House in November.
As God's protective Hand is pulled farther and farther away from America, the
chaos and the craziness is being multiplied to a once-unimaginable level. Is this what it looks like when a nation is collapsing? That's what it looks like to me, and you don't need to be a prophet to see that.
Turkey confirmed it carried out strikes against Kurdish forces on the Syria-Iraq border overnight Monday
FROM THE DAILY MAIL UK: The Turkish air force struck the Semalka Border Crossing in order to stop Kurdish forces resupplying along a route which links their territories in northern Iraq and Syria, two security officials said.
'One of the fundamental goals was to cut off the transit route between Iraq and Syria before the operation in Syria, a source told Reuters. 'In this way, the group's support lines, including ammunition, are shut off.'
Video shot in the area overnight shows two large flashes against the horizon while the distant sound of fighter jets can be heard. It is thought this shows the crossing being destroyed.
It comes a day after Donald Trump agreed to withdraw US troops from Syria and hand control of regional security over to Turkey, which has vowed to create a 'peace corridor' along its border by wiping out 'terrorists'.
Trump also confirmed on Tuesday morning that he'd extended an invitation to the country's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to meet with him at the White House in November. In a tweet, Trump said Turkey was a 'good trading partner of the US' and had been 'very good to deal with'.
Turkey views the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces - America's key ally in the battle against ISIS - as a terror group and has previously outlined plans to strike a series of their strongholds along the border. Trump has been accused of a 'spineless' capitulation to Turkey over his pledge to withdraw troops - and on Tuesday denied that he had abandoned the Kurds to their fate.
He tweeted: 'We may be in the process of leaving Syria, but in no way have we Abandoned the Kurds, who are special people and wonderful fighters. Likewise our relationship with Turkey, a NATO and Trading partner, has been very good.'
Shortly after announcing he'd extended an invitation to Ergodan, Trump tweeted that: 'Turkey already has a large Kurdish population and fully understands that while we only had 50 soldiers remaining in that section of Syria, and they have been removed, any unforced or unnecessary fighting by Turkey will be devastating to their economy and to their very fragile currency. We are helping the Kurds financially/weapons!'
This comes after Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell on Monday called the move 'a retreat' that 'would increase the risk that ISIS and other terrorist groups regroup'. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Trump's closest friends in Congress, also blasted him in a tweet, calling the move 'a stain on America's honor' and 'a disaster in the making.' Graham said: 'The biggest lie being told by the administration [is] that ISIS is defeated.'
Turkey has been involved in a decades-long conflict with Kurdish separatists as they demand their own state, which would fall largely on Turkish territory. Erdogan has been repeatedly accused of carrying out atrocities against Turkish Kurds.
As the Syrian conflict threatened to enter a deadly new phase:
- Iran, Turkey's regional ally, warned Ankara not to push ahead with its invasion and to 'respect' the territorial integrity of Syria
- Turkey's vice-president said his country 'won't bow to threats' after Trump warned he will crash their economy if they do anything he deems 'off limits'
- The Syrian government urged the Kurds to join with Assad's forces 'rather than plunge into the abyss' after being abandoned by the US
- President Trump confirmed he will meet President Erdogan during a visit to the White House next month
Trump was accused of a 'spineless' capitulation to Turkey, Iran and Russia after suddenly agreeing to withdraw US troops during a call with Erdogan on Sunday which left the Defense Department 'blindsided'.
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