Audrey Conklin on October 11, 2019
Former U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said President Donald Trump gave Turkey the “green light” to attack Kurds in Syria during a Friday morning Axios conference.
Rice’s comments came two days after the Turkish Armed Forces launched an offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, killing at least seven people in ground and air attacks after the White House ordered the remaining 50 U.S. soldiers in northern Syria out of the region Sunday.
Rice was responding to a question about whether the U.S. has “clarified its position” on Turkey’s offensive in Syria “clearly enough” when she said, “Yeah, the position is: green light.”
“I think there’s been an effort to try to clean up a huge mess that the president made with his base here in Washington,” she said. “I think it’s absolutely political. … First, the president gave Erdogan the green-light on the first.”
“We continued to provide them aerial imagery until Monday when the offensive was about to begin, we did nothing to defend the Kurds when they were under assault from the air and deliberately ordered U.S. military personnel not to intercede to help the Kurds. Now, we’re just having a few more days of the Trump bluster about, you know, ‘I didn’t tell them they could do that,’” Rice continued.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. “in no way” has “abandoned the Kurds” after Erdogan announced his “Operation Peace Spring” offensive.
“The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” he added. “There are no American soldiers in the area. From the first day I entered the political arena, I made it clear that I did not want to fight these endless, senseless wars — especially those that don’t benefit the United States.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. did not green-light Turkey’s offensive in Syria in a Wednesday interview with PBS NewsHour.
Trump said during a Wednesday press conference that he would “wipe out” Erdogan’s economy if his forces in Syria wipe out the Kurdish population. The Kurds, an ethnic group, reside in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Armenia.
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Why is anyone listening to Susan Rice, she was willing to go out on National TV, 5 Sunday talk shows no less, and tell a flat out lie about Benghazi. It, was bad when Bush decided to go into Iraq, but Obama and his administration, put the middle east on fire. Now, they want us to take on Turkey to add more fuel to the fire. I really feel sorry for the Kurds, and I hope we get them away from this mess. But, Trump didn't set this problem up, Obama did.
Well, I do not see how 30, 60, or 100 days would make a difference. They would just use the time to make their plans and would start a fight as soon as we were out of there. As far as the Kurds, living under the endless threat of war, should have been always prepared to defend themselves, not just stay forever under the umbrella of the USA. It sounds to me like Bernie Sanders promising "free protection" to the kurds... what they gladly accepted. Therefore, as you ended you explanation, I disagree with you thoughts, but that is OK. We are civilized people and will express our differences by voting in whom we believe would be better for the country. I stick with the president. Thanks again for your time.
irregardless you are as full of s**t as a Christmas goose and it's plain to see you were never in any one of the so called wars/police actions....NUFF SAID.....
A typical lying statement from a socialist democrat. Take a world situation and twist it to match your agenda. It is not our job to protect these religious lunatics so don't pretend that we are responsible for their bloodthirsty actions.
As far as "what we have accomplished," as I said in my comment "there is no easy answer" to our "policing the world." I will say that as a former soldier, most of us didn't really care or try to analyze the politics of the situation. Most of us joined because we wanted to make a difference and hopefully keep America safe from our enemies. We always hoped or believed the decisions of our commanders was in the best interests of America. Questioning every order or trying to analyze everything we were doing would have only hindered our ability to do our job. As far as the Kurds and our pullout, as I've said before I'm always hoping our commanders and politicians are making the right decisions, since we've voted them into office to do that very thing. As I am no longer in the military, I feel more of an obligation to question intent and motives of our so-called leaders. With that said, I feel maybe we could have sat down with the Kurds and informed them in advance (60 days?) of what was to occur so they could have been better prepared. I don't like being a "Monday morning quarterback," but there it is as a start, whether you agree or not.
But you are NOT taking care of your country.The chaos is coming to you, over your borders,I see no difference between Obama's movable red lines and axxx licking Iran, and Trump's giving the Turks an open invitation to slaughter their enemies, So much for human rights, and America, the moral compass ! And my nephew fought in Iraq, Kept his legs but not his mind.
Sounds to me you just like wars...Are you a mercenary ?....or maybe a central figure in the military industrial complex ? as a veteran I'm disgusted and angry at the amount of money these wars cost the US,and we have run up quite a tab on our kids future...don't you think ? I also have 2 boys who served in the Marine Corp,and both served in Afghanistan,1 coming home with NO LEGS ....Another useless war where the tenants of that country have been fighting for HOW LONG....Time for us to just take care of our country and let others fend for themselves.
Ad "iregardless" that's a made-up misnomer, a double-negative and "sometimes used instead of" excuse, just won't cut it. "Regardless" and "irrespective" are the only correct synonyms. And those bs "dictionaries" are just worthless, making illiterate Americans even more illiterate.
Ad Korea - not Koreia, I never mentioned it. Declared or not, it was in fact a war, and calling it a "police action" doesn't make the U.S. participation (under U.N. auspices) "policing".
that's a man baby!
Thank you for your well thought response. Unfortunately, after WW II, with perhaps except one, all the major wars we fought just spilled American blood and nothing was really achieved. Consider Vietnam, North Korea, Laos, Cambodia. There were others that we "won" (Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq) but our enemies are still there. Iran is just about to acquire nuclear capability. So, please, just tell me what have we accomplished with such great loss of American lives? As far as right way to pull off, since you did not like the President's way, I would love to learn your suggestion. If you can propose another way that was not attempted before and would not take another hundred years to succeed, I am with your! Be well.