‘Islamic State’ resurgence a ‘very real possibility’ after US exits Syria
(Worthy News) – For months, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to send troops into neighboring Syria. Then, on Saturday, he announced he would deliver on his promise and send Turkish air and ground forces into the country. Erdogan plans to create a “safe zone” along the Turkish-Syrian border. The purpose of this is to push back the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are led by the predominantly Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Ankara considers the Kurdish militia a threat to its national security.
The YPG has, however, been the main ally of US forces in the region. Together, they managed to defeat the so-called Islamic State (IS). The US initially tried finding a solution to Turkey’s border issue while at the same time trying to factor in the interests of the Kurdish militia. But this has come to naught, and US President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement on Sunday night that US troops that have worked with the YPG would pull out immediately. Early Monday, the SDF confirmed that US troops were already withdrawing from the region. The White House has said it will not come to the SDF’s defense when Turkey invades northern Syria. [ Source: Deutche Welle (Read More…) ]