This week, Donald Trump submitted to the demands of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to have US troops stand down as their brothers in arms. Most military and foreign policy experts agreed that this only meant that The Kurds would be left to be slaughtered.
That might be a stark picture, but it is what is happening as this is being written.
Now, Erdogan, living up to the promise of his invasion, and has begun attacks in the Kurds’ northern Syrian stronghold. US troops have been ordered by Trump to stand down and stand aside as this brutal act takes place.
This is a major policy shift for the U.S.
This is the result of a weak American President who’s own business interests seem to be the main motivating force in this callous decision.
“I have a little conflict of interest ’cause I have a major, major building in Istanbul,” Trump told (Steve) Bannon during a Breitbart radio show. “It’s a tremendously successful job. It’s called Trump Towers—two towers, instead of one, not the usual one, it’s two.”
Those Trump Towers are a pair of glass buildings in Istanbul that have borne Trump’s name since 2012. Trump doesn’t own the buildings—the situation might be less complicated if he did. Instead, Trump licenses his brand to the building’s actual owner, Turkish business magnate Aydin Dogan, who has been described as the single largest payer of taxes in Turkey. He’s a one-time antagonist of Erdogan who is now in step with the strongman.
Some estimate Trump making up to 17 million in royalties in this “small conflict of interests” as Trump describes it. Others might call that a major conflict of interest. One that is now costing people their lives — literally — so Trump can continue enriching himself.
This is what has happened so far …
*Turkish military said the operation began at 4 p.m. local time and that it informed all the relevant parties beforehand.
*U.S. senators including Lindsey Graham, a key ally of Trump, slammed Turkey’s incursion and threatened punishment against Ankara.
*Erdogan said he spoke with Putin, who has been very “constructive” as the Turkish military prepared for its advance.
*Footage carried by Turkish televisions including CNN-Turk showed Turkish aircraft and howitzers shelling positions held by Kurdish militants around the Syrian town of Tal Abyad.
*The lira fell as much 0.7% after the operation began.
*Kurdish-led forces saying they’re halting anti-Islamic State operations
So, as a result, no one is fighting or watching out for ISIS, who is still very alive and well in Syria as the Kurds are forced to defend themselves in the face of a massive invasion from Turkey. Trump betrayed the Kurds to serve his own personal business interests by many accounts.
It makes one wonder who or what Trump won’t sell out to serve himself.
