Turkey launched its military operation to flush Kurds allied with the US out of northeastern Syria Wednesday, sparking outrage in Congress and creating rare bipartisan unity about the risks to Kurds, US national security interests, regional stability and the fight against ISIS.
The attack has highlighted a rare Republican willingness to directly criticize President Donald Trump, who apparently gave Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the go-ahead on Sunday to proceed with his long-planned move against Kurdish fighters who make up part of the Syrian Defense Forces who had fought against ISIS with the US.
Both Pentagon and State Department officials had advised Trump against making the move, arguing a US presence is needed to counter ISIS and keep Iran and Russia, both influential inside Syria, in check.
"News from Syria is sickening," Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking Republican in the House, tweeted Wednesday, echoing lawmakers across the spectrum.
Texas Republican Rep. Will Hurd was among the lawmakers announcing support for legislation by fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland to sanction Turkey's economy and military for the Syria operation. "Just as the Kurds had our backs against ISIS, we must have theirs," Hurd said. "The U.S. must do whatever it takes to hold Turkey accountable for compromising our security."
