Up until recently, the United States had military troops stationed in Syria. The presence of the U.S. in that region served to ward off Turkey from attacking the U.S allied Syrian Kurdish forces. The Kurds were essential in helping the U.S. defeat ISIS, following attacks on U.S soil in September 2001. For unknown reasons, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. troops to be removed from Syria, leaving the Kurds vulnerable to violent attacks by Turkey.  

On Wednesday, October 10th, Turkey launched airstrikes in northeastern Syria after warplanes and artillery began hitting the territory held by Kurdish-led forces, bombing a key supply route. The decision was disapproved by the European Union, which urged Turkey to end their offense.“The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” said President Donald Trump. There are no American soldiers in the area to protect the Kurdish forces and his words are unlikely to be taken seriously by Turkey, following the removal of the U.S troops from the area. Many foreign relations experts have criticized the move and claim that it puts Americans at risk. Since the Kurdish forces were a key component in helping defeat ISIS. Now, the U.S. is without a key ally, leaving ISIS likely to take advantage of the situation.  

As of now, 64,000 people have fled, according to The International Rescue Committee, who work to aid conflicts and disasters during global crises. As the attacks have just begun, it is unknown how many civilians have been killed thus far. The Kurds now face complete domination by Turkey, leaving them with little power. “None of our allies can trust us anymore,” stated Connecticut Senator, Richard Blumenthal, member of the Armed Services Committee. “The biggest loss here, apart from the slaughter of innocent and loyal fighters on our side, is the shattering of trust. The loss of our word as a bond. No one can rely on the United States if we abandon our fiercest, most loyal allies who have literally shed blood for us.”