In the quiet hours of Sunday evening, the White House announced that the United States “will no longer be in the immediate area” of Northern Syria. The decision gives President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey space to launch a long-planned assault on the region and against Kurdish forces specifically. The rhetorical fallout from the Syria pullout has been swift and fierce.

In the fight against ISIS, the Kurds have been a strategically important U.S. ally. A U.S. departure from the region all but ensures devastation for the Kurds. Continue reading →