Nikki Haley slams Trump's move to pull out US troops from Syria-Turkish border


PTI | Washington DC | Updated: 07-10-2019 21:23 IST | Created: 07-10-2019 21:23 IST
Nikki Haley slams Trump's move to pull out US troops from Syria-Turkish border
  • Country:
  • United Kingdom

Indian-American Nikki Haley, the former US envoy to the UN, on Monday slammed Donald Trump's move to pull out American troops from areas along the Syria-Turkish border, in her first open criticism of the President's policies after she left his administration last year. "We must always have the backs of our allies, if we expect them to have our back. The Kurds were instrumental in our successful fight against ISIS in Syria. Leaving them to die is a big mistake," Haley tweeted.

Her tweet came hours after the White House on Sunday announced the withdrawal of the US troops from Syria's northern border. The US' move effectively abandons the Kurds, who were America's main ally in the fight against the ISIS. In fact, US forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial "Caliphate," will no longer be in the immediate area, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham earlier said.

The US has pressed France, Germany and other European nations, from which many captured ISIS fighters came, to take them back, but they did not want them and refused, she alleged. As such the US will not hold them for what could be many years and great cost to the United States taxpayer, she said.

"Turkey will now be responsible for all ISIS fighters in the area captured over the past two years in the wake of the defeat of the territorial 'Caliphate' by the United States," Grisham said. Despite being slammed by Haley and several top Republican leaders, Trump defended his decision on Syria.

"The US was supposed to be in Syria for 30 days, that was many years ago. We stayed and got deeper and deeper into battle with no aim in sight," he said. "When I arrived in Washington, ISIS was running rampant in the area. We quickly defeated 100% of the ISIS Caliphate, including capturing thousands of ISIS fighters, mostly from Europe," Trump tweeted.

"But Europe did not want them back, they said you keep them USA! I said "NO, we did you a great favour and now you want us to hold them in US prisons at tremendous cost. They are yours for trials...," he said in a series of tweets. "The Kurds fought with us, but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so. They have been fighting Turkey for decades. I held off this fight for almost 3 years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home," he said.

"WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN. Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their 'neighbourhood.'" Trump said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Give Feedback