SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Mitt Romney weighed in again on President Donald Trump’s decision to pull troops out of northern Syria as Turkish forces launched an offensive against the Kurds on Wednesday.
“Reports indicate Turkey is predictably attacking the Kurdish allies we abandoned. It’s a tragic loss of life among friends shamefully betrayed. We can only hope the President’s decision does not lead to even greater loss of life and a resurgence of ISIS,” the Utah Republican tweeted.
Romney sharply criticized Trump on Monday, calling the president’s abrupt decision to pull troops from Syria a “betrayal” of the Kurds that “says America is an unreliable ally.”
Turkey’s long-expected offensive into northeastern Syria included airstrikes and shelling that targeted Syrian Kurdish fighters who have played a key role in aiding the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State militant group.
On Monday, Romney called for the Trump administration to “immediately” reconsider withdrawing U.S. peacekeeping troops. He tweeted that the president’s plan is ultimately a victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad, Russia, Iran and ISIS.
Romney, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, also issued a joint statement with the ranking member, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
In the joint statement, Romney and Murphy said the president’s decision “will have grave humanitarian and national security consequences. After enlisting support from the Kurds to help destroy ISIS and assuring Kurdish protection from Turkey, the U.S. has now opened the door to their destruction.”