By Benjamin H. Friedman
The United States should withdraw its military from Syria quickly. But that does not mean clearing a path for Turkey to attack the Syrian Kurds. The United States does not owe the Kurds indefinite protection, but they do deserve fair warning of U.S. withdrawal.
U.S. forces should have left Syria already. With the Islamic State caliphate destroyed and local forces eager to attack its remnants, there was no justification for the U.S. forces to stay. And there was grave risk of the U.S. troops — whose presence Congress never authorized — being pulled into a major war or sparking terrorism rather than suppressing it.
Turkey’s threat to attack Syrian Democratic Forces complicated U.S. withdrawal. But there was a rough solution: Let the Kurds negotiate with Damascus to restore their status quo ante. They lose autonomy but keep a militia, while Syrian regime forces police the border against remnants of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. That would have kept ISIS down, Turkey out, and the Kurds in reasonable shape.
This piece was originally published by USA Today on October 8, 2019. Read more HERE.