REPORT: Trump’s former ISIS envoy lambasts Trump over Syria decision

OCTOBER 7, 2019

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As the most reliable and balanced news aggregation service on the internet, DML News App offers the following information published by TheHill.com:

President Trump’s former ISIS envoy on Monday slammed the decision to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria, calling the president “impulsive” and claiming the move will help Russia, Iran and ISIS.

“Donald Trump is not a Commander-in-Chief. He makes impulsive decisions with no knowledge or deliberation,” Brett McGurk tweeted. “He sends military personnel into harm’s way with no backing. He blusters and then leaves our allies exposed when adversaries call his bluff or he confronts a hard phone call.”

The article goes on to state the following:

McGurk, who also served under former Presidents Barack Obama and George Bush, in other posts  criticized the White House’s announcement late Sunday that it would pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria ahead of a Turkish attack. The U.S. had more than 1,000 troops in the region where they worked closely with the Kurdish-led forces against ISIS.

“The WH statement tonight on Syria after Trump spoke with Erdogan demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of anything happening on the ground. The “United States” is not holding any ISIS detainees. They are all being held by the SDF, which Trump just served up to Turkey,” McGurk further wrote.

He said President Trump “tonight after one call with a foreign leader provided a gift to Russia, Iran, and ISIS.”

In additional tweets, McGurk further slammed the decision:

Turkey has neither the intent, desire, nor capacity to manage 60k detainees in al Hol camp, which State and DoD IGs warn is the nucleus for a resurgent ISIS. Believing otherwise is a reckless gamble with our national security.

The Turkish proposed “safe zone” would effectively extend Turkey’s border 30km into Syria, including areas of Christians, Kurds, and other vulnerable minorities. Our diplomats were working on a plan to forestall such a debacle. Where’s Pompeo?

Indeed, US officials signed the SDF up to a “security mechanism” plan by which it removed all defensive barriers on the Syrian side of the border to forestall a Turkish incursion. EUCOM issued this just yesterday. Was Trump ever even briefed on this plan?

Trump made a similarly impulsive decision when I was managing the policy. I resigned over it and stand by every word in this op-ed. Tonight is a sad replay but seems even worse as US officials had since convinced the SDF that we planned to stay.

There’s a similar defect at the core of US foreign policies across the board: maximalist objectives for a minimalist president combined with no process to assess facts, develop options, or prepare contingencies. Our personnel are left exposed at the slightest moment of friction.

Bottom line: Trump tonight after one call with a foreign leader provided a gift to Russia, Iran, and ISIS. FWIW, I warned of this here in @ForeignAffairs — and recommended alternatives given the hard realities on the ground and in this White House.

To get more information about this article, please visit TheHill.com. To weigh in, leave a comment below.

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