U.S. military personnel began pulling back from the Syria-Turkey border early Monday, clearing the way for Turkey to launch an attack against Kurdish fighters who led the allied campaign against ISIS. The White House announced its withdrawal with a statement late Sunday, and convoys of troops were seen leaving the area just hours later. The decision to withdraw has been heavily criticized by former national security personnel. “Donald Trump is not a Commander-in-Chief,” said Brett McGurk, who resigned last year as the Trump administration’s special envoy on ISIS. “He makes impulsive decisions with no knowledge or deliberation. He sends military personnel into harm’s way with no backing. He blusters and then leaves our allies exposed when adversaries call his bluff or he confronts a hard phone call.” Trump said Turkey will now be responsible for the 12,000 detained Islamic State terror group fighters and about 58,000 women and children held by Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.
