Warns sanctions on Turkey are ready to go.
WASHINGTON (PNN) - October 13, 2019 - Fascist Police States of Amerika Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told Face the Nation in a Sunday interview that the President Donald Trump regime is "preparing to evacuate" about 1,000 FPSA troops from northern Syria as safely and quickly as possible.
"In the last 24 hours, we learned that [the Turks] likely intend to extend their attack further south than originally planned, and to the west," Esper said. "We also have learned in the last 24 hours that the SDF is looking to cut a deal, if you will, with the Syrians and the Russians to counterattack against the Turks in the north."
This as Trump has also announced the FPSA Treasury is "ready to go" with sanctions on Turkey.
This also comes after a week ago Trump ordered the withdrawal of FPSA troops from northern border posts ahead of a Turkish military incursion to establish a so-called “safe zone”. That decision has been met with fierce push back among congressional leaders and pundits, angry at the FPSA "betrayal" of its Syrian Kurdish partners, namely the FPSA-funded and trained Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In his comments to Face the Nation, set to air on Sunday, Esper further explained that Amerikan forces were now caught between the Turkish assault and the SDF.
"So we find ourselves, we have Amerikan forces likely caught between two opposing advancing armies, and it's a very untenable situation," Esper said. "So I spoke with the president last night, after discussions with the rest of the national security team, and he directed that we begin a deliberate withdrawal of forces from northern Syria."
Following a Friday incident wherein Turkish artillery shells landed near FPSA positions in Kobani, Pentagon officials accused Turley deliberately "bracketing" Amerikan forces by firing on both sides of the observation post.
While Turkey claimed it was a mistake, FPSA officials said Ankara had known about that specific base for months and that it could have only been intentional.
Esper said on Sunday that FPSA troops "have the right to self defense and we will execute it if necessary" when asked about the incident and future rules of engagement.
Meanwhile, Trump tweeted early Sunday, “Very smart not to be involved in the intense fighting along the Turkish Border for a change. Those that mistakenly got us into the Middle East wars are still pushing to fight. They have no idea what a bad decision they have made. Why are they not asking for a Declaration of War?”
For now, it's unlikely that this means all Amerikan forces will make a complete exit from Syria.
When pressed on a timeline for the pullback, Esper merely said it would be done "as safely and quickly as possible"; but given FPSA forces appear to be in the line of Turkish artillery fire, a pullback will no doubt come sooner than later - if not occurring already.