Turkish forces have launched their attack on our allies, the Kurds, in Syria, following the U.S. announcement that we are withdrawing our forces and essentially leaving the Kurds on their own.
These are our Kurdish allies have stood with us for years in fighting ISIS only to be abandoned by a whimsical, thoughtless presidential decision.
This was a decision taken without any consultation with either state department or military leadership, in a phone call with President Erdogan of Turkey.
It was just a spur of the moment, snap judgment in a call with one of the authoritarian leaders that President Trump so admires, and largely fawns over.
As a consequence, any prospective ally in the world has taken heed — the Americans cannot be trusted in partnership!
Building future coalitions is impaired to the point of approaching impossibility. Present alliances will now stop to reconsider. Is Trump’s behavior a surprise? It should not be.
He has never shown loyalty to anyone, and he has long treated his business relationships in this same way. His decisions are nearly always spur of the moment, without reflection, and uninformed.
In short, this is still another example that he is incompetent to hold the complex office of the Presidency.
The tragedy is that the Kurds will suffer, innocent civilians will suffer, and the U.S. will greatly suffer in the international arena well into the future.
Wake up, America. You do not get good governance from incompetent people!
James DeFrancia
Aspen