October 7, 2019

Trump Justifies Betraying the Kurds: They “Fought With Us, But Were Paid Massive Amounts of Money”

Not even Lindsey Graham is defending the move.

Tasos Katopodis/ZUMA

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President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed bipartisan condemnation over his announcement that the US is withdrawing from northern Syria to make way for a Turkish incursion—a move that abandons longtime Kurdish allies who have fought against ISIS in the region. Amid the outcry, the president offered his self-described “great and unmatched wisdom” as reassurance that he would take action against Turkey if the country did anything “off limits.”

In a string of earlier tweets, Trump acknowledged the Kurdish role but appeared to argue that the Kurds had already been fairly compensated. Trump’s decision amounts to what many see as a stunning betrayal of a crucial ally, as Turkey has long viewed Kurdish forces as a terrorist organization. “The move marks a major shift in US foreign policy and effectively gives Turkey the green light to attack US-backed Kurdish forces,” according to CNN.

“The Kurds fought with us, but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so,” Trump said. “They have been fighting Turkey for decades. 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.”

“I hope I’m making myself clear how short-sighted and irresponsible this decision is,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of the president’s fiercest allies, said during a call with Fox & Friends. In a scathing thread, Brett McGurk, the former special envoy in the US’s fight against ISIS, slammed the president:

In announcing the decision late Sunday, the White House revealed that it came shortly after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After posting five tweets on the situation, Trump resumed his attacks on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

This post has been updated to reflect ongoing breaking news.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

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That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

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