President Trump said the Kurdish forces who helped America fight the Islamic State are “not angels.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said his decision to move U.S. troops out of Syria was done to protect them, and that America shouldn’t be involved in disputes over land in the Middle East.
“Our soldiers are not in harm’s way, as they shouldn’t be, as two countries fight over land that has nothing to do with us,” Trump said. “And the Kurds are much safer right now, but the Kurds know how to fight. And as I said, they’re not angels, they’re not angels if you take a look, you have to go back and take a look.”
After Trump decided to relocate and later evacuate troops from the region, Turkey launched an invasion into Syria against the Kurds, who they view as terrorists. Trump acknowledged the Kurds did help the United States beat back ISIS, but also pointed out how much the fighting cost.
“They fought with us. We paid a lot of money for them to fight for us, and that’s OK,” the president said. “They did well when they fought with us. They didn’t do so well when they didn’t fight with us.
“We’re in the Middle East now for $8 trillion, if you can believe that, stupidity,” Trump added.
Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are heading to Turkey this week in an attempt to broker a ceasefire between Turkey and Kurdish forces in Syria. They are slated to meet with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The trip comes days after Trump signed executive sanctions targeting Turkey’s economy, including increased steel tariffs.
