It's a sad day for the free world. After the Syrian Democratic Force liberated Syrian Kurdistan from the yoke of ISIS terrorism, ISIS is having a comeback with the support of the Turkish military, which seeks to create a "safe zone" in Syria that will house a million Syrian Arab refugees. By creating this safe zone, Turkey seeks to ethnically cleanse Syria of its Kurdish inhabitants by forcing the region's indigenous inhabitants to flee and replacing them with Arabs. According to the BBC, tens of thousands of people have already fled their homes due to the Turkish invasion. The question remains: How will Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from the Turkish-Syrian border affect America's other allies in the Middle East?
Already, many in Israel are concerned about whether the move signals a weakening US commitment to its other regional allies, including the Jewish state, itself. Former Communications Minister Ayoob Kara said on Twitter that "turning one's back on the Kurds means turning one's back on all US allies in the Middle East, an alliance that began in the days of the late Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Whenever a Palestinian is killed or injured, the world is outraged. The time has come for the world to stop being hypocritical and to prevent genocide in Kurdistan."
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According to Mendi Safadi, head of the Safadi Center for International Diplomacy, Public Relations, Research and Human Rights: "The facts prove that the Kurds were alone in their campaign against ISIS. The bombings that the international coalition against ISIS carried out were meaningless and they were utilized in the framework of the Syrian regime's ethnic cleansing campaign. Only the Kurds bravely fought against this brutal terror organization, which was destroying humanity. The Kurds were the ones to dismantle and overthrow ISIS. Turkey must not be permitted to take advantage of the chaos. The Turkish sultan should not sit on a throne made from the skulls of innocent Kurds. The United States must stand beside its allies and not abandon them. Israel must support its only friends in the Middle East – the ones who had its back in every instance."
The Israelis are not the only US ally concerned by this latest US foreign policy blunder. Iraqi protest leader Dr. Nakeeb Saadoon is also concerned about Trump's decision in Syria: "The Kurds lost 11,000 peshmerga in order to serve US interests and to fight against ISIS. And then, out of nowhere, the US lets everything go. If the US continues to do this, they will lose a lot in the Middle East. We used to believe that if you help your friend, you are viewed as loyal. It is not like that anymore. If you have money, you are my friend. If not, you are not. Trump does not care about loyalty or friendship. He does not get that even though we don't have money, we can help the US in other ways." Saadoon is also worried that Trump's latest decision has adversely affected the Iraq protests, which seek to remove Iranian influence from Iraq: "Our movement has difficulty for we do not have support from the US, the UN and others. There are still protests going on. In Sadr City, there were major fights with the Iranian militias. But the situation in Syria has taken away all of the limelight. Turkey is a problem for Iraq as well."
Sherkoh Abbas, president of the Kurdistan National Assembly of Syria, concurs that all US allies in the Middle East have good reason to be concerned right now, noting that Trump's recent decision will lead to the strengthening of both ISIS and Iran in the Middle East: "This is a threat to Israel and the Kurds. It is a threat to Europe. It is essential to stop [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan for the stability of the Middle East. Trump should be accountable to the international community if any terror attacks occur because of this. Kurdistan was not a state during World War II [referring to Trump's complaint that the Kurds "didn't help us in the Second World War, they didn't help us with Normandy"]. The Kurds have helped the US many times and we now are being screwed by the Americans."
UN goodwill ambassador and Yezidi genocide survivor Nadia Murad said, "Abandoning the Kurds is both shameful and dangerous. Civilian lives have already been lost and as the fighting escalates, women and children will suffer the most. This will lead to more displacement and more suffering. This act of aggression will lead to a reassurance of ISIS and other radical groups and a further destabilization of the region. Religious minorities in Syria and Iraq will once again be under the threat of radical groups. If the frontline against ISIS is destroyed, ISIS prisoners who committed genocide and enslaved women are likely to get away without facing prosecution for their crimes. The international community has a moral responsibility to stabilize the region. President Trump's decision to tacitly support Turkey will have grave consequences."
If the Kurds lose their enclave in Syria, the "Shia crescent" from Iran to the Mediterranean Sea will be expanded and reinforced. The SDF will likely have to turn to the Assad regime for assistance in halting Turkey's aggression since it can no longer rely on the US.
In response to the move, Iraqi Kurdistan's Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has reached out to Russia. Feeling that he can no longer rely on the US, he seeks Russian President Vladimir Putin's friendship and assistance. He saw how America responded to Kurdistan's independence referendum of 2017. The change in US policy also weakens the pro-democracy protesters in Iraq. With Iran gaining ground in other areas of the region, the Iraqi protesters are more isolated. Additionally, Trump's move advances Erdoğan's goal of resurrecting the Ottoman Empire.
Finally, Israel's security situation will be aggravated as our adversaries are strengthened at the expense of a significant regional ally, the Kurds.
