Trump shrugs off Turkish incursion into Syria, says ‘not our border’

President Donald Trump has said Turkey’s incursion into Syria is “not our border”, and called the former US allies the Kurds “no angels”.

The US is facing intense criticism for withdrawing its forces from Syria, which some say gave Turkey the green light to launch a cross-border offensive against Kurdish-led forces.

Mr Trump told reporters at the White House the US is “not a policing agent”.

“It is time for us to go home,” he said.

The US House of Representatives voted overwhelming to condemn the president’s withdrawal of US forces from Syria, with both Democrats and Mr Trump’s fellow Republicans approving the measure.

Trump added he did not mind Russia helping Syria in a conflict with NATO ally Turkey and rejected criticism of his withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria that exposed Kurdish allies, calling it “strategically brilliant.”

Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces before a Turkish offensive into northern Syria last week has shattered the relative calm there and he has been accused of abandoning Kurdish militia who helped the United States fight Islamic State militants in the region.

 

Via BBC/Reuters

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