[Peace-discuss] "Dems" vow to "reverse" Syria withdrawal; Russians say they've filled void

[Robert Naiman]

Look at Pelosi and Schumer stamping their feet against U.S. military
withdrawal from northern Syria, while *McConnell* and *Lindsey Graham [!] *seem
to be* pivoting away from talking about military force. *

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/465766-fury-over-trump-syria-decision-grows

[...]

*Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
<https://thehill.com/people/mitch-mcconnell>* (R-Ky.) didn’t tip his hand
Monday on what he will support, but said he was “gravely concerned” and
that talks would be ongoing in the Senate this week on how to respond.

“Withdrawing American leadership from this pivotal region would not serve
our nation’s short-, medium- or long-term interests. ... I look forward to
discussing what the United States can do to avoid a strategic calamity with
my Senate colleagues *and* *with senior administration officials* when the
Senate returns to Washington this week,” he said.

[...]

In addition to sanctions legislation, lawmakers are working on a joint
resolution that would oppose Trump’s strategy, urge Turkey to stop its
military operations, and support *military* and humanitarian efforts for
the Kurds.

“Our *first order of business* was to agree that we must have a bipartisan,
bicameral joint resolution to *overturn the president’s dangerous decision* *in
Syria immediately*,” *Pelosi* said Monday.
[...]

*Democrats said Trump’s move didn’t go far enough.*

“Strong sanctions, while good and justified, *will not be sufficient* in
undoing that damage nor will it stop the consequences stemming from the
ISIS jailbreak,” *Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
<https://thehill.com/people/charles-schumer>* (D-N.Y.) [*voted for the Iraq
war and against Obama's Iran nuclear deal*] and Sens. Jack Reed
<https://thehill.com/people/jack-reed> (D-R.I.) [*voted for the Saudi war
in Yemen, supported sending cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia*] and Bob Menendez
<https://thehill.com/people/robert-menendez> (D-N.J.) [*voted for the Saudi
war in Yemen,* *voted against Obama's Iran nuclear deal*] said in a joint
statement. “The first step when Congress returns to session this week is
for Republicans to join with us in passing a resolution making clear that *both
parties are demanding the president’s decision be reversed*.”
[...]

*Meanwhile, Graham is pivoting...*

[...]

*Graham gave Trump some cover Monday* after spending the past week
repeatedly lashing out at the administration. During a Fox News interview, *he
placed the blame for the situation in Syria on Turkey*, saying Erdoğan had
made “the biggest mistake of his life” and “misjudged” Trump.

“There’s going to be crippling* sanctions* imposed by the Congress to
supplement what President Trump’s administration has done,” he said. “I’ve
never seen such bipartisan support. We’ve all had it with Erdoğan.”
[...]

*That's interesting, isn't it?* *I'm old enough to remember when it was
Democrats who put forward sanctions as an alternative to military force...*

*Meanwhile, in northern Syria...how exactly do "Democrats" propose to
"reverse" or "overturn" Trump's decision? You and what army? *

https://nypost.com/2019/10/15/russia-says-its-troops-have-filled-void-left-in-syria-by-us-troops/

Russia says its troops have filled void left in Syria by US troops
By Mark Moore
October 15, 2019 | 11:11am

Russia on Tuesday said it has filled the void left by the withdrawal of US
troops in northern Syria and its units are acting as a buffer to prevent
clashes between Syrian government fighters and the Turkish military
<https://nypost.com/2019/10/15/turkey-advances-troops-into-syria-despite-us-sanctions/>
.

The Russian Defense Ministry said military police were patrolling “the
northwestern borders of Manbij district along the line of contact of the
Syrian Arab Republic military and the Turkish military.”

The US-led coalition that had been in Manbij under a longstanding alliance
with Turkey pulled its forces on Tuesday as the Syrian army entered the
city.

“Coalition forces are executing a deliberate withdrawal from northeast
Syria. We are out of Manbij,” Col. Myles B. Caggins,
<https://twitter.com/OIRSpox/status/1184076626205777921> spokesman for
Operation Inherent Resolve, said in a tweet.

“No one is interested” in allowing Syrian government and Turkish forces to
fight each other, said Alexander Lavrentyev, Russia’s envoy for Syria.

Russia “is not going to allow it,” he said, according to Russian state
media.

[...]
===

Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
(202) 448-2898 x1
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