WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) joined a group of bipartisan senators to urge President Trump to reconsider the decision to abandon our Kurdish partners in the face of Turkey’s invasion of northeastern Syria. In addition to Senator King, the letter was also signed by Senators Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). All of the letter’s signers serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The senators write, in part:

“As we have seen in recent days, even small shifts in force posture in Syria have allowed Turkey to begin a ground invasion, shelling, and bombing of Kurdish-held territory.  Five years of fighting alongside the Kurds have demonstrated to us their skill and resolve, but without an American presence, even these fierce warriors stand little chance against the modern and sophisticated Turkish forces. In fact, in the face of our announced withdrawal they have already been forced to align themselves with the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian partners in order to survive.”

Senator King has strongly opposed the President’s plan to recklessly remove American military forces from Syria without a well-developed strategy, which he argued was “procedurally sloppy, morally reprehensible, and strategically dumb.” One day after the initial announcement, he joined a bipartisan group of six Senators to send a letter to the President urging him to reconsider his approach. In February, he highlighted his concerns with removing American troops from Syria during a hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee. During the hearing, he questioned General Joseph Votel, Commander of United States Central Command; in response to King’s questions, Votel acknowledged that he had not been consulted by President Trump before the Syrian withdrawal plan was announced via Twitter.

Read the full letter below or click HERE:

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Dear President Trump,

We write to you as bipartisan members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to implore you to reconsider the current strategy in regards to the Turkish incursion into northeastern Syria. We are confident that a structured and deliberate strategy to support our Kurdish partners while reassuring Turkey of our commitment to regional peace will earn broad support across Congress, the National Security community and the American people.

As we have seen in recent days, even small shifts in force posture in Syria have allowed Turkey to begin a ground invasion, shelling, and bombing of Kurdish-held territory.  Five years of fighting alongside the Kurds have demonstrated to us their skill and resolve, but without an American presence, even these fierce warriors stand little chance against the modern and sophisticated Turkish forces. In fact, in the face of our announced withdrawal they have already been forced to align themselves with the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian partners in order to survive.

Furthermore, we have serious concerns about the state of the numerous prisons and camps that currently detain ISIS fighters and their families. We believe that trusting Turkey with such an essential responsibility with no oversight from the international community carries an unacceptable risk.  The Kurds have demonstrated their capability in this task, and by allowing them to be attacked, we are accepting their diminished ability to provide security and protection to the region.

We are aware that one of your goals is to reduce US involvement in long term wars in the Middle East, and many of us are supportive of those efforts. However, leaving so abruptly without protection for those partners who have been with us in the fight against ISIS is not only perilous for them, but also dangerous for us and our national security. This decision will potentially degrade future relationships with allies and partners around the world, who may question our long-term commitment and resolve.

We come to you in the sincerest bipartisan fashion because of our grave concerns about our national security and foreign policy. We hope that you will urge Turkey to end their offensive and find a way to a peaceful resolution while supporting our Kurdish partners to ensure regional stability.