Trump Whipsaws on Turkey as Threat Follows Green Light on Syria
- Kurdish forces have been close U.S. ally against Islamic State
- Trump tried to remove U.S. forces from Syria late last year
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Donald Trump appeared to backpedal after giving Turkey a green light to attack U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in northern Syria, warning Ankara in a tweet that he would “totally destroy and obliterate” the country’s economy if it takes unspecified “off limits” actions.
The president drew fierce criticism Monday from congressional allies for a White House statement the previous night that the U.S. wouldn’t stand in the way of a Turkish incursion into Syria. The announcement, which followed a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, marked an abrupt change in U.S. posture.