Former US vice president Joe Biden slams Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria

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Former US vice president and Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden on Thursday slammed President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria, saying he sold out the courageous Kurds and Arabs who fought with America to smash ISIS’s caliphate.

Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria, but added that the US “does not endorse” Turkey’s operation. “Donald Trump sold out the Syrian Democratic Forces — the courageous Kurds and Arabs who fought with us to smash ISIS’s caliphate — and he betrayed a key local ally in the fight against terrorism,” Biden said in a statement.

Biden said that by taking such a decision, Trump has betrayed US brave troops, who sacrificed alongside them. “He betrayed our word as a nation — raising doubts among our allies around the world about America’s security commitments. And he betrayed our security by green lighting a Turkish incursion that will create chaos and destruction, setting conditions for ISIS to regrow,” he said.

A day earlier, Biden in a major election speech has supported to move to impeach Trump.

Slamming Trump for his Syria policy, Biden said Trump’s sad attempt to excuse the betrayal — saying that the Kurds didn’t fight with us at Normandy 75 years ago in World War II — adds insult to very real injury.

“By that standard, only Canada, a handful of European allies, and others could ever hope for America to come to their defence — and even they might have doubts after Trump’s performance. Especially when Trump said he wasn’t worried about ISIS regrouping and fleeing Syria because they would only go to Europe,” he asserted.

Biden claimed that Trump made this decision on a whim, after a phone call with Turkish President Erdogan — a fellow strongman who has threaten to send millions of Syrian refugees into Europe if they dared to criticise his attack.

“There was no process. No consultation with our military, our diplomats, or our allies. Trump got rolled, plain and simple, because he has no idea what he’s doing,” he said.