President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. soldiers from northern Syria has sparked rare bipartisan backlash, including from West-central Missouri Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler. Trump’s move has led to Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria.
Hartzler, a fellow Republican and member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, says the U.S. is abandoning the pro-democracy Kurds who have died fighting with America to defeat ISIS.
“If we just step away from them after they have partnered with us – they’re going to be slaughtered,” Hartzler tells Missourinet affiliate KSSZ in Columbia.
The Kurds have been guarding imprisoned ISIS members. Turkey’s attack is also likely to spark a humanitarian crisis through the killing and displacement of masses of Kurds.
Hartzler says Trump made a mistake by withdrawing the troops and says America has a history of keeping troops in parts of the world to promote democracy.
“Why not allow those 50 to 100 American troops to still be there and help provide that stability,” asks Hartzler. “We’ve got far more than that still Germany and Japan.”
Trump says it’s time to end America’s “stupid, endless wars,” but military officials argue that the U.S.’s presence would keep Iran and Russia, both influential inside Syria, in check.
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