Sen. Lindsey Graham and a Democratic senator will introduce bipartisan sanctions against Turkey if the country invades Syria and will call to suspend Turkey’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization if it attacks Kurdish forces there.
The South Carolina Republican said in a Monday morning tweet that he and Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland would introduce the sanctions if needed and that he expects them to be veto-proof.
“Just spoke to Sen @ChrisVanHollen about 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 said.
“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, & Turkey will put every radical Islamist on steroids. Shot in the arm to the bad guys. Devastating for the good guys,” he added.
Just spoke to Sen @ChrisVanHollen about 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.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 7, 2019
Van Hollen called President Trump’s decision to pull troops from Syria “unconscionable.”
“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,” Van Hollen tweeted.
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.
— Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) October 7, 2019
The news adds to pressure by some in Trump’s own party against the Sunday announcement that the United States would be moving troops out of northern Syria to let Turkey go forward with a “long-planned operation.”
Graham, a hawkish politician who typically supports Trump, said Monday on Fox News that he “absolutely” didn’t agree with the president’s decision.
“If I didn’t see Donald Trump’s name on the tweet, I thought it would be Obama’s rationale for getting out of Iraq. Here is what is going to happen: this is going to lead to ISIS’ reemergence,” Graham warned. “Nothing better for ISIS than to create a conflict between the Kurds and Turkey.”
Kurdish YPG fighters will likely be targeted by Turkey, which considers them terrorists. There is concern that the decision could bend Kurdish support toward Damascus, which is supported by the likes of Russia and Iran. There is also worry that the move could allow ISIS to resurge in the region after the destruction of most of the terror group’s territorial holdings.
Former special envoy Brett McGurk blasted the decision as “a complete lack of understanding of anything happening on the ground” and declared that Trump was “not a Commander-in-Chief.”
