PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s national security adviser says the US military withdrawal from Syria will only happen once the remnants of the Daesh group are defeated.
John Bolton added that Turkey needed to assure the safety of Kurdish fighters allied with the United States in the area. Bolton, who is in Israel to reassure the US ally of the Trump-ordered withdrawal, says there is no timetable for the pull-out of American forces in north-eastern Syria, but insists it is not an unlimited commitment.
Bolton said yesterday that “the timetable flows from the policy decisions that we need to implement”. His comments mark the first public confirmation that the withdrawal has been slowed, as Trump faced criticism from allies and the resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis for a policy that was to have been conducted within weeks.
Trump announced in mid-December that the US will withdraw all of its 2000 forces in Syria. His move has raised fears over clearing the way for a Turkish assault on Kurdish fighters in Syria who fought alongside American troops against Daesh extremists.
Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, a terrorist group linked to an insurgency within its own borders. Bolton, who is to travel to Turkey tomorrow, said the US insists that its Kurdish allies in the fight against the Daesh group are protected from any planned Turkish offensive. He is to deliver a warning to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week.
“We don’t think the Turks ought to undertake military action that’s not fully coordinated with and agreed to by the United States,” Bolton said.
Trump has stated that he would “not allow Turkey to kill the Kurds”, Bolton said. “That’s what the president said, the ones that fought with us.” Bolton said the US has asked its Kurdish allies to “stand fast now” and refrain from seeking protection from Russia or Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
He said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford would continue negotiations with his Turkish counterparts this week to seek protection for America’s Kurdish allies in Syria. He added that ambassador Jim Jeffrey, who has been serving since August as the special representative for Syrian engagement and was named last week as the American special envoy for the anti-Daesh coalition, would travel to Syria this week in an effort to reassure the US’s Kurdish allies they are not being abandoned.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel