Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Rep. Costa Blasts Trump's Decision to Abandon Kurds
GV-Wire-1
By gvwire
Published 5 years ago on
October 7, 2019

Share

Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno said Monday morning that President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria “is disgraceful and deeply harmful to our national security.”

“There is simply no justification for this abrupt and startling abandonment of our responsibilities and principles. The American people will be less safe because of it.” — Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno)
Said Costa in a news release: “Not only does this open the door to ISIS regrouping and resuming its horrendous acts of violence, but it also sends the message that the United States will not stand by those who fight at our side. By leaving our Kurdish allies at the mercy of President Erdogan of Turkey, a leader with a clear track record of human rights abuses, we are betraying the ideals of our nation and the core principles that have long underpinned our national security strategy.
 “There is simply no justification for this abrupt and startling abandonment of our responsibilities and principles. The American people will be less safe because of it.”

Republicans Question Trump’s Decision

Leading Republicans also criticized Trump for making a decision that likely would endanger America’s Kurdish allies in the region.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield said Monday in an appearance on “Fox & Friends” that he had been briefed by the president about the decision. But he also voiced his concerns.
“I want to make sure we keep our word for those who fight with us and help us,” he said of the Kurds. “If you make a commitment and somebody is fighting with you, America should keep their word.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called Trump’s decision “a disaster” in light of Erdogan’s threats to launch a military operation across the Syrian border against the Kurds.
Graham said that he would call for Turkey’s suspension from NATO and introduce sanctions against Ankara if the Turks attack Kurdish forces.
“This decision to abandon our Kurdish allies and turn Syria over to Russia, Iran, & Turkey will put every radical Islamist on steroids. Shot in the arm to the bad guys. Devastating for the good guys,” Graham wrote in a tweet.

Trump: ‘Ridiculous Endless Wars’

There are about 1,000 U.S. troops in northern Syria, and a senior U.S. official said they will pull back from the area — and could depart the country entirely should widespread fighting break out between Turkish and Kurdish forces. For the moment, the U.S. troops are not leaving Syria, officials said.

If the Turks go too far, Trump tweeted, “I in my great and unmatched wisdom” will destroy their economy.
Since January, U.S. officials have tried to broker the creation of a “safe zone” in northern Syria to provide a security buffer between the Turkish military and Kurdish forces, but Turkey has repeatedly objected to its slow implementation.
Trump defended his decision, acknowledging in tweets that “the Kurds fought with us” but adding that they “were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so.”
“I held off this fight for almost 3 years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home,” he wrote.
If the Turks go too far, he tweeted later, “I in my great and unmatched wisdom” will destroy their economy.
(Associated Press contributed to this report.)
 

DON'T MISS

San Francisco’s First Black Female Mayor Concedes to Levi Strauss Heir

DON'T MISS

FBI Thwarts Iranian Murder-for-Hire Plan Targeting Donald Trump

DON'T MISS

Israeli Soccer Fans Were Attacked in Amsterdam. The Violence Was Condemned as Antisemitic

DON'T MISS

Longtime Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Is on the Mend After 2 Surgeries

DON'T MISS

USDA Bans School Lunch Fees for Low-Income Families

DON'T MISS

Christian McCaffrey Expected to Make Season Debut for 49ers This Week

DON'T MISS

Southern California Wildfire Destroys 132 Structures as Officials Look for Fierce Winds to Subside

DON'T MISS

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Cruises Toward the Close of Its Best Week in a Year

DON'T MISS

The Latest: House Remains in the Balance as World Reaction to Trump Victory Keeps Pouring In

DON'T MISS

Middle East Latest: Israeli Defense Minister Officially Steps Down

UP NEXT

FBI Thwarts Iranian Murder-for-Hire Plan Targeting Donald Trump

UP NEXT

Southern California Wildfire Destroys 132 Structures as Officials Look for Fierce Winds to Subside

UP NEXT

Wave of Racist Texts After Election Prompts FBI Scrutiny

UP NEXT

Tulare County Man Brutally Killed at Halloween Party, Six Arrested

UP NEXT

City of Fresno Buys Half of Eldorado Park in Strategic Maxwell-Led Move

UP NEXT

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

UP NEXT

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

UP NEXT

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

UP NEXT

California Beat Trump in Court His First Term. It’s Preparing New Cases for His Second.

UP NEXT

With Mountain West Title Out of Reach, What Is Fresno State Playing For?

Longtime Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Is on the Mend After 2 Surgeries

31 mins ago

USDA Bans School Lunch Fees for Low-Income Families

39 mins ago

Christian McCaffrey Expected to Make Season Debut for 49ers This Week

44 mins ago

Southern California Wildfire Destroys 132 Structures as Officials Look for Fierce Winds to Subside

57 mins ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Cruises Toward the Close of Its Best Week in a Year

1 hour ago

The Latest: House Remains in the Balance as World Reaction to Trump Victory Keeps Pouring In

1 hour ago

Middle East Latest: Israeli Defense Minister Officially Steps Down

1 hour ago

Wave of Racist Texts After Election Prompts FBI Scrutiny

1 hour ago

Tulare County Man Brutally Killed at Halloween Party, Six Arrested

2 hours ago

City of Fresno Buys Half of Eldorado Park in Strategic Maxwell-Led Move

15 hours ago

San Francisco’s First Black Female Mayor Concedes to Levi Strauss Heir

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s first Black female mayor, London Breed, conceded the race for mayor to Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie ...

22 mins ago

22 mins ago

San Francisco’s First Black Female Mayor Concedes to Levi Strauss Heir

23 mins ago

FBI Thwarts Iranian Murder-for-Hire Plan Targeting Donald Trump

28 mins ago

Israeli Soccer Fans Were Attacked in Amsterdam. The Violence Was Condemned as Antisemitic

31 mins ago

Longtime Dodgers Ace Clayton Kershaw Is on the Mend After 2 Surgeries

39 mins ago

USDA Bans School Lunch Fees for Low-Income Families

44 mins ago

Christian McCaffrey Expected to Make Season Debut for 49ers This Week

57 mins ago

Southern California Wildfire Destroys 132 Structures as Officials Look for Fierce Winds to Subside

1 hour ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Cruises Toward the Close of Its Best Week in a Year

Search

Send this to a friend