Donald Trump says he will support imposing tough sanctions on Turkey for doing something he facilitated Ankara to do last week. The only surprising thing about the descent into chaos that Trump’s decision precipitated is how quickly it has happened. European states have refused to take back their Islamic State fighters, seeking to wash their hands of the problem. But Trump’s decision is a historic mistake. In one move, he has betrayed the Kurds, cemented Assad’s future, relinquished all US leverage in Syria, given Russia a strategic victory and breathed new life into Islamic State.

Source: The Irish Times October 14, 2019 18:30 UTC