The US military was not able to extract five dozen high-value ISIS detainees in Syria due to the chaos that Donald Trump has unleashed in the northern part of the country.
The New York Times reported:
The American military was unable to carry out a plan to transfer about five dozen “high value†Islamic State detainees out of Kurdish-run wartime prisons before the Pentagon decided to move its forces out of northern Syria and pave the way for a Turkish-led invasion, according to two American officials.
In the same area on Sunday, hundreds of Islamic State sympathizers escaped from a low-security detention camp in the region, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Turkish ground invasion and the accompanying strikes.
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Mr. Trump claimed last week that the United States had taken out the worst ISIS detainees to ensure they would not escape. But in fact the American military was able to take custody of only two British detainees — half of a cell dubbed the Beatles that tortured and killed Western hostages — the officials said.
Remember the ISIS cell that tortured and beheaded Americans and Westerners? Trump let half of those guys go.
Trump’s decision to let Turkey invade Syria borders on being a war crime.
The big winners from Trump’s decision are Assad, Turkey, and especially Russia. The US cutting and running on their Kurdish allies means that Russian is now the dominant player in Syria. In one swoop, Trump managed to make both ISIS and Putin great again.
Trump is well on his way to adding impeachment to his legacy, and he will soon be able to tack on the distinction of being a war criminal as events in Syria unfold.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
