U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a statement on the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

 

The statement includes the following;

 

“Kurdish forces have been a steadfast U.S. ally and President Trump has shamefully betrayed them. Thousands of Kurds died in the fight against ISIS only to be abandoned by President Trump, whose fascination with authoritarian dictators, like Erdogan, seems to control U.S. foreign policy. Turning our back on the Kurdish people in their time of need will make our nation less safe. Potential allies will no longer trust our government. President Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria also underscores the problematic nature of his continuing involvement in his business, the Trump Organization. Since President Trump has not fully divested from his private business, our nation is left to wonder whether the fact that the Trump Organization has dealings in Turkey impacted his decision.”

 

Earlier Monday, Senator Lindsey Graham posted a comment on Twitter in which he said that he had just talked to the U.S. Senator for Maryland, Chris Van Hollen, about the situation in Syria;

 

“We will introduce bipartisan sanctions against Turkey if they invade Syria and will call for their suspension from NATO if they attack Kurdish forces who assisted the U.S. in the destruction of the ISIS Caliphate.”

 

Graham continued; “Hope and expect sanctions against Turkey – if necessary – would be veto-proof. This decision to abandon our Kurdish allies and turn Syria over to Russia, Iran and Turkey will put every radical Islamist on steroids.”

 

Critizing Trump’s decision, Senator Chris Van Hollen tweeted the following; “The Syrian Kurds stood with us in the fight against ISIS when Turkey did not. Trump’s decision to betray them is unconscionable. Congress must make it clear that Turkey will pay a heavy price if they attack the Syrian Kurds.”