Published 15:26 IST, October 19th 2019
Donald Trump, Susan Rice in war of words over Syria and 'gross' hug
US President hits out at the former national security adviser and calls her a 'disaster' after she criticised his Syria strategy on a television talk show
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US President Donald Trump clashed with former national security adviser Susan Rice on Twitter late Friday.
In a late night Tweet, Trump called Rice "a disaster" after she criticised his Syria strategy on a television show.
However, things didn't stop there. Minutes later Rice clapped back by calling him 'gross' for hugging her at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in 2015 even though they were strangers.
Susan Rice, who was a disaster to President Obama as National Security Advisor, is now telling us her opinion on what to do in Syria. Remember RED LINE IN THE SAND? That was Obama. Millions killed! No thanks Susan, you were a disaster.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 19, 2019
Then why did you come up and hug me at 2015 WHCD when I’d never met you (which was totally gross) and whisper in my ear that I had been “very unfairly treated” over Benghazi and “was doing a great job for the country”? https://t.co/HG3SU2gfrE
— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) October 19, 2019
What made Trump lash out?
Earlier in the evening, Rice criticised Trump's decisions in Syria during an appearance on a television talk show. She called his policy of retracting the US troops from northeastern border of Syria back to the US which led to Turkey launching a military offensive against Syrian Kurdish militias as 'a self-inflicted strategic catastrophe'.
Trump, who was presumably watching the show, lashed out on Twitter.
The 'red line in the sand' that Trump mentioned was a reference to the 'red line' comment by former US President Barack Obama who suggested in 2012 that the US would use military force in Syria if President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons in the country's civil war. Even though Syria is believed to have used chemical weapons, Obama signed a deal which required Syria to give up its chemical weapons after declining to use military force.
Syrian crisis
As per United Nations' estimates, more than 2,300 people, mostly women and children, had fled from northeastern Syria and crossed into Iraq in recent days. UN refugee agency spokesman, Andrej Mahecic told the reporters that for four consecutive days, the UN Human Rights Council has been receiving hundreds of refugees who are crossing the border from northeastern Syria to Iraq. More than 1,600 Syrian refugees have already been transported from the middle east border areas to Bardarash refugee camp which is 150 kilometers away from the Syria-Iraq border. The country has been facing many casualties since the Turkish President Erdogan announced offensive in Syria to create a safe zone in border areas. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, the number of refugees who had been forced to leave their homes is far higher than the number suggested by the UN.
US intervention
Amid growing chaos in Syria, Trump took US troops out of the country’s northeastern area stating it was important for the American forces to guard their own borders. While the US officials were still condemning the President's decision to abandon its ally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched Operation Spring of Peace to eradicate all terrorist forces. After a week of the Turkish offensive in Syria, President Assad said that Syrian forces will retaliate with legitimate means to Turkish aggression.
Recently, Vice President Mike Pence signed a peace truce with Turkish President to declare a ceasefire in Syria even though Erdogan had earlier said that the military operation cannot be halted despite US threats to impose sanctions of the Turkish government.
(With input from agencies)
13:29 IST, October 19th 2019