Syria Civil War News: Trump Warns Turkey Against Certain Actions In Syria

After first announcing the U.S. would pull its forces out of Syria, President Trump warned Turkey on Monday against crossing certain lines, saying he would “totally destroy and obliterate the economy of Turkey” if his warning goes unheeded.

Trump announced late Sunday the U.S. would not prevent Turkey from moving into northern Syria following a call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, abandoning Kurdish fighters in the war against the Islamic State group. Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish-led militia that controls much of northeastern Syria, have been instrumental in the U.S. effort to rout ISIS, but Turkey has labeled the fighters as terrorists and wants to push the Kurds away from the Turkish border.

U.S. troops began pulling back from key positions along the border Monday, opening the way for a Turkish incursion.

“If Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the economy of Turkey,” Trump said, calling on countries in the region to take up the fight against ISIS.

Trump promised in his presidential campaign to end U.S. involvement in “these endless and ridiculous wars,” saying U.S. troops are being used as police forces for the “benefit of people who don’t even like the USA.”

The announcement drew swift reaction from Capitol Hill, with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., usually a staunch supporter of Trump, promising to introduce legislation to sanction Turkey if it invades Syria and to suspend it from NATO if it attacks Kurdish forces. Graham tweeted it is a “disaster in the making” that would allow ISIS to make a comeback.

“The biggest lie being told by the administration [is] that ISIS is defeated,” Graham said Monday on Fox.

“This impulsive decision by the president has undone all the gains we've made, thrown the region into further chaos.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., warned the pullout could embolden Iran, which has been a destabilizing influence in Syria. He called Trump’s decision a “grave mistake” that could lead to a wider war.

Also denouncing the decision were Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who warned Turkey is not a friend of the U.S.

Libertarian Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky took Trump’s side. He said on Fox that calling the withdrawal precipitous after 17 years of war is “ludicrous.”

The decision comes after the departure of national security adviser John Bolton and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who both supported security guarantees for the Kurds. Trump had announced in December that he’d reached a deal with Erdogan because the ISIS caliphate had been defeated, prompting Mattis’ resignation.