US President Trump defends decision to desert Kurdish allies in Syria

US President Donald Trump justifying his decision to abandon ally Kurdish fighters in Syria as fulfilling a campaign promise to withdraw from "endless war" in Middle East, despite being heavily critiqued for his move to sacrifice a US ally and subsequently undermining credibility of country. 

Donald Trump anunced that US troops would step aside for an expected Turkish attack on Kurds, who have stood alongside US for years to fight so-called Islamic State. He furr boasted of his "unmatched wisdom" and threatened to "totally destroy and obliterate" Turkish ecomy if y went too far. 

move of Trump ministration draws a shift in US foreign policy, effectively making for Turkey to attack US-backed Syrian Kurdish forces, who fought Islamic State with US' vice and arms. It was latest example of Trump's approach to foreign policy that critics condemn as impulsive, that he sometimes reverses and that frequently is untered to vice of his national security aides. Trump said he understood criticism from fellow GOP leers but disagreed. He said he could also name supporters, but he didn't.

Pentagon and State Department officials held out possibility of persuing Turkey to abandon its expected invasion. U.S. officials said y h seen indication that Turkey h begun a military operation by late Monday. Trump, in late afteron remarks to reporters, appeared largely unconcerned at prospect of Turkish forces attacking Kurds, who include a faction he described as "natural enemies" of Turks.

"But I have told Turkey that if y do anything outside of what we would think is humane ... y could suffer wrath of an extremely decimated ecomy," Trump said.

In recent weeks, U.S. and Turkey h reached an apparent accommodation of Turkish concerns about presence of Kurdish fighters, seen in Turkey as a threat. American and Turkish soldiers h been conducting joint patrols in a zone along border. As part of that work, barriers designed to protect Kurds were dismantled amid assurances that Turkey would t inve. 

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However, critics have remarked that historic blunder by Trump might le to re-emergence of ISIS, despite US President's claim that country has captured "100% of ISIS Caliphate."

As he faces impeachment inquiry, Trump has appeared more focused on making good on his political pledges, even at risk of sending a troubling signal to American allies abro.

US steps aside

On Sunday night, White House anunced that US will pull out its troops out of way of Turkish forces, and anuncement came after a phone call between Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

One official described that White House anuncement as a botched effort appeared aimed at making Trump look bold for ending a war. official said attempts by Pentagon and State Department to make statement stronger in its opposition to Turkey's military action were unsuccessful.

A White House official familiar with Erdogan call said Turkish president was "ranting" at Trump, saying safe zone was t working and that Turkey couldn't trust U.S. military to do what was needed. And in reaction, Trump said U.S. wanted part of an invasion and would withdraw troops.

United States allied with a Syrian Kurdish Forces in 2015 to fight Islamic State.

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Global ramifications

Experts have ted that betrayal to Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces could empower Turkey's control over rrn Syria and create a void in region, thus benefitting Islamic State, Syrian President Bashar al-Ass and his backers- Russia, Iran.

anuncement threw military situation in Syria into fresh chaos and injected deeper uncertainty into U.S. relations with European allies. A Foreign Ministry statement warned Turkey to avoid any action that would harm international coalition against Islamic State and ted Kurds h been essential allies. It entirely omitted any mention of United States.

U.S. involvement in Syria has been fraught with peril since it started in 2014 with insertion of small numbers of special operations forces to recruit, train, arm and vise local fighters to combat Islamic State. Trump entered White House in 2017 intent on getting out of Syria, and even before counter-IS military campaign reclaimed last militant strongholds early this year, he declared victory and said troops would leave.

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Trump defended his latest decision, ackwledging in tweets that " Kurds fought with us" but ding that y "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 se ridiculous Endless Wars, many of m tribal, and bring our soldiers home," he wrote.

In his later remarks, Trump asserted that American troops in Syria are t performing useful work. y are, he said, "t fighting." y are "just re," he said. Among first to move were about 30 U.S. troops from two outposts who would be in immediate area of a Turkish invasion. It's unclear wher ors among roughly 1,000 U.S. forces in rastern Syria would be moved, but officials said re was plan for any to leave Syria entirely.

(With AP inputs)