STEPPING ASIDE

White House: Turkey to Invade Northern Syria, U.S. Will Not Take Part

American forces ordered to move out, dealing a heavy blow to the Kurdish fighters who allied themselves with the U.S. against ISIS.

A Turkish invasion of northern Syria is imminent, and the United States “will not support or be involved in the operation” and “will no longer be in the immediate area,” the White House said in a statement late Sunday night. The move is a blow to the Kurdish fighters who allied themselves with the U.S. against ISIS and did the majority of the fighting on the ground, as the Turkish government considers them terrorists. In the statement, the White House said President Trump had spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the two had agreed that Turkey would “be responsible for all ISIS fighters in the area captured over the last two years.” Both former defense secretary James Mattis and former national security adviser John Bolton had been against abandoning the Kurds to the Turks.