The White House released a statement late Sunday night revealing the U.S. military will be pulling out of northern Syria so Turkey can move in to control the area.
President Trump had a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier on Sunday to finalize the pullout.
"Turkey will soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation into Northern Syria. The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial 'Caliphate,' will no longer be in the immediate area," the statement said.
The White House said because thousands of ISIS fighters and their families are being held in camps, "the United States will not hold them for what could be many years and great cost to the United States taxpayer. 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."
The Pentagon was reportedly "completely blindsided" by the order.
Pentagon ‘completely blindsided’ by White House order to pull U.S. forces back from northern Syria green-lighting Turkish invasion: U.S. officials
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) October 7, 2019
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The decision to pull out of the region has been criticized and is being seen as abandoning the allied Kurds, who have fought alongside U.S. forces against ISIS, and are now at the mercy of the Turkish military.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted Monday morning if the "press reports are accurate this is a disaster in the making" and he will work in the Senate to ask for a reversal of the order.
Also, if this plan goes forward will introduce Senate resolution opposing and asking for reversal of this decision. Expect it will receive strong bipartisan support.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 7, 2019
I feel very bad for the Americans and allies who have sacrificed to destroy the ISIS Caliphate because this decision virtually reassures the reemergence of ISIS. So sad. So dangerous.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 7, 2019
President Trump may be tired of fighting radical Islam. They are NOT tired of fighting us.
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