WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, today released the following statement following reports that Turkey launched an offensive attack against Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria:

“President Trump’s decision to abandon our Kurdish partners in northeast Syria and greenlight a Turkish invasion creates the likelihood of a humanitarian and national security disaster. It torpedoes America’s credibility as a reliable partner and creates a power vacuum that benefits ISIS and makes America less safe. Trump has once again made a deal with a country where he has big business interests over the objections of his own national security advisors,” said Murphy.

“And unfortunately, this disaster was preventable. Today we are seeing the military consequences of a political problem left unsolved. Instead of spending the last few years working with the Kurds, Turks and Arabs to create a post-ISIS governance structure, we deployed thousands of troops and only a handful of diplomats to the region. Now, because of Trump’s reckless leadership we are facing down the prolonged nightmare of an even more complicated civil war and the slaughter of our Kurdish partners. Potentially millions of civilians will be caught in the crosshairs.”

###