CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is criticizing the Trump administration for its decision to withdraw American troops from northern Syria.
The move, according to Manchin, abandons Kurdish forces who have helped fight the Islamic State group.
“The announcement of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria is a terrible miscalculation,” Manchin said in a press release Thursday.
Manchin’s statement comes as Turkish forces continue their assault on the Kurdish people; the operation possible after President Donald Trump pulled American troops from the region earlier this week.
“The invasion of northern Syria by Turkey, an area controlled by our Kurdish allies, is what happens when the United States shrinks from its responsibility as a world leader,” the senator said. “This puts future alliances and partnerships in jeopardy if we don’t hold up our end of the bargain. We are allowing an ally to be attacked and I believe this is a grave mistake.”
According to the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization, more than 300,000 people in northeast Syria could be displaced because of Turkish military action.