US soldier on front lines in Syria tells Fox reporter, ‘I am ashamed for the first time in my career’

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‘I AM ASHAMED’: In a compelling twitter thread posted last night Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin described the anguish felt by what she described as a “distraught U.S. Special Forces soldier” who is serving alongside Kurdish forces in Syria.

“I am ashamed for the first time in my career,” said the veteran Green Beret, who told Griffin U.S. troops were witnessing atrocities committed by invading Turkish forces. “Turkey is not doing what it agreed to. It’s horrible,” the soldier said.

“This is insanity,” Griffin quotes the anonymous service member as saying. “We met every single security agreement. The Kurds met every single agreement. There was NO threat to the Turks – NONE – from this side of the border.”

STICKING BY US: Nevertheless this soldier, who is described as having trained indigenous forces on multiple continents, says so far, “The Kurds are sticking by us. No other partner I have ever dealt with would stand by us.”

The U.S. military fears that as Turkey clears the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces from an 18-mile wide swath of territory in northern Syria that America’s Kurdish allies will be forced to abandon makeshift prisons where thousands of captured ISIS fighters are being held.

“They are not abandoning our side (yet),” the soldier reports. “They prevented a prison break last night without us,” but adding it’s only a matter of time before many of the ISIS fighters get loose. “Many of them will be free in the coming days and weeks.”

The Kurds are “pleading for our support.” We are doing “nothing.”

CAUGHT TOTALLY OFF GUARD: Despite a Pentagon statement saying top military leaders were consulted ahead of Trump’s Sunday night decision to pull back U.S. troops from the border — ostensibly to protect them from the Turkish assault — the solder confirmed the orders came as a total shock to U.S. troops and their commanders, and suggested President Trump doesn’t understand the situation on the ground.

“He doesn’t understand the repercussions of this. [Turkish Presidnet Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is an Islamist, not a level headed actor,” the soldier said, while “The Kurds are as close to Western thinking in the Middle East as anyone.

“It’s a shame. It’s horrible…. This is not helping the ISIS fight.”

NOTORIOUS BRITISH ISIS PAIR NOW IN US HANDS: They were among the most brutal ISIS members dubbed “The Beatles” because of their English accents. Now they have been turned over to the U.S. military to prevent their possible escape during the chaos of the Turkish siege.

“In case the Kurds or Turkey lose control, the United States has already taken the 2 ISIS militants tied to beheadings in Syria, known as the Beetles, [sic] out of that country and into a secure location controlled by the U.S.,” tweeted Trump last night. “They are the worst of the worst!

The two men, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey tortured at least 20 western captives, and beheaded seven prisoners on gruesome propaganda videos as part of a campaign of intimidation.

‘A BAD IDEA’: President Trump spent much of the day yesterday distancing himself from both the Turkish invasion and the Kurdish militia that provided the muscle to defeat ISIS.

“The United States does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” Trump said in a morning statement. “From the first day I entered the political arena, I made it clear that I did not want to fight these endless, senseless wars — especially those that don’t benefit the United States.”

‘FOR THEIR LAND’: Later in during a White House appearance, Trump suggested the Kurdish-dominated SDF was fighting — not on behalf of the U.S. — but to secure control over territory for themselves.

“They’re fighting for their land,” Trump said. “And as somebody wrote in a very, very powerful article today, they didn’t help us in the Second World War, they didn’t help us with Normandy, as an example … they’re there to help us with their land, and that’s a different thing.”

NO GREEN LIGHT: In an interview on the PBS NewsHour last night Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted that Trump’s decision to withdraw about 50 U.S. troops from the border region did not signal Erdogan that he was free to invade.

“The United States didn’t give Turkey a green light,” Pompeo told Judy Woodruff. “On the phone call on Sunday night, it became very clear that there were American soldiers that were going to be at risk. And the president made a decision to put them in a place where they were out of harm’s way. That’s what we have done.”

Asked about the sharp criticism from Sen. Lindsey Graham, usually one of the president’s most stalwart defenders, Pompeo said, “I love Senator Graham. He’s a friend. But remember where we were when this administration came into office, and now just judge us by our results.”

“We have achieved a good outcome there. We have taken down the caliphate. There are ISIS remnants that remain. We will continue to be in a position to do what we need to do to keep the American people as safe as we possibly can from this threat.”

Good Thursday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Susan Katz Keating (@SKatzKeating). Email us here for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will not be published on Monday, Oct. 14, in observance of the federal holiday. We’ll be back Tuesday, Oct. 15.

SIGNED: On Wednesday, October 9, 2019, the President signed into law H.R. 1590, the “Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2019,” which requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop and conduct an exercise related to the detection and prevention of terrorist and foreign fighter travel.

HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Mark Esper swears in Ryan McCarthy as Army Secretary at 4 p.m. at the Pentagon Mall Entrance steps.

CONGRESS PREPARING SANCTIONS: To get any legislation through Congress these days, you need a co-sponsor from the other party, so Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Maryland Democrat Sen. Chris Van Hollen have teamed on a bipartisan framework for tough sanctions to punish Turkey for its assault on U.S. Kurdish allies in Syria.

The proposal would place immediate sanctions on senior Turkish government officials, prohibit all U.S. military business and U.S. military transactions with Turkey, and immediately activate penalties under a 2017 law already passed by Congress.

“This unlawful and unwarranted attack against an American friend and partner threatens the lives and livelihoods of millions of civilians, many of whom have already fled from their homes elsewhere in Syria to find safety in this region. This invasion will ensure the resurgence of ISIS in Syria, embolden America’s enemies including Al Qaeda, Iran, and Russia, and launch yet another endless conflict in what had been, until today, one of the most safe and stable areas of Syria and a region experimenting with the best model of local governance currently available in that war-torn country,” the two senators said in a joint statement.

These sanctions would remain in place until all Turkish and Turkish-partner fighters have been withdrawn from Syrian territories impacted by the Turkish military operation that began yesterday.

OK BY TRUMP: Asked about Graham’s push for sanctions, Trump said, “I think it’s OK. I’ve already told that to President Erdogan, far more than sanctions, I wanted — I will do far more than sanctions.”

“Lindsey and I feel differently,” he continued. “I think Lindsey would like to stay there for the next 200 years and maybe add a couple hundred thousand people every place … But I will tell you that I do agree on sanctions, but I actually think much tougher than sanctions, if [Erdogan] doesn’t do it in as humane a way as possible.”

For the record, Graham has been adamant that the U.S. should keep a small U.S. force in Syria, in an advise and support role, while local forces continue to battle the thousands of ISIS fighters remaining in the country.

NATO’S MUTED RESPONSE: “NATO has been informed by Turkish authorities about their ongoing operation in Northern Syria,” tweeted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “I count on Turkey to act with restraint & ensure that the gains we have made in the fight against ISIS are not jeopardised. I will discuss this issue with President Erdogan Friday.”

ENTER IRAN: The Institute for the Study of War says the unprecedented period of unrest In Iraq is providing an opportunity for Iran to extend its influence there.

“Iran has signaled that it may send security personnel into Iraq,” the Washington-based think tank says in its latest analysis. “Tehran’s ostensible reason for sending forces across the border is to secure an upcoming religious pilgrimage, but Iran may alternatively be preparing to help suppress protests.”

N. KOREA TALKING ABOUT TESTING: North Korea is making noises about resuming nuclear and long-range missile tests, in the wake of the failure of the last round of working-level talks with the U.S., and in reaction to a statement from European Union members of the U.N. Security Council condemning North Korea’s recent test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile.

“Our patience has limits, and there is no law that what we have been restraining from will last indefinitely,” said a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, according to the South Korean Yonhap News Agency.

The statement from North’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. of pushing the EU countries to sign the statement, which it called a “grave provocation.”

CLOSING EYES IN THE SKIES: Published reports that President Trump has already signed an internal memo indicated he’s ready to withdraw from the 1992 Open Skies Treaty have alarmed arms control advocates and Democrats in Congress. The president is said to be acting on the advice of fired former national security adviser John Bolton.

Many point out the treaty is a valuable tool for Ukraine to keep track of Russian forces on its border, and argue that pulling out of the treaty would be yet another gift to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The Open Skies Treaty, which has 32 signatories including the U.S. and Russia and took effect in 2002, allows aerial imaging through short-notice, unarmed observation flights over each other’s entire territory.

“While alarming, it is no surprise to me that on his way out the door as national security adviser John Bolton may have pushed for the President to unilaterally withdraw from yet another arms control agreement with significant benefit to Euro-Atlantic security,” said Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “Withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty would further erode alliances with our European partners and allies and play right into Putin’s hands.’

“U.S. flights over Ukraine and western Russia have yielded valuable data, easily shared between allies. The flights strengthen ties between the United States and its allies and reassure non-NATO members on Russia’s periphery,” said Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association.

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Turkey’s invasion of Syria set to obliterate key US ally in fight against ISIS

Washington Examiner: European Union opens the anti-Assad playbook to deter Turkish attack on the Kurds

New York Times: U.S. to Take Custody of ISIS Detainees

Washington Examiner: Defense analyst charged with leaking information to a journalist

Defense One: Senate Intel Committee: Russia Is Already Trying to Influence the 2020 Election

Bloomberg: Russia Denies It Has Any Troops Stationed In Mozambique

Reuters: Taiwan Leader Rejects China’s ‘One Country, Two Systems’ Offer

Breaking Defense: Saudis Had No Intel On Iranian Oil Strikes; Mossad, Bibi Brief Defense Cabinet

USNI News: North Korean Cargo Ship Sold To Compensate Families Of Regime’s Victims

CBS News: Air Force Academy may have underreported sexual assaults to Congress

Washington Post: U.N.: 30 Civilians Killed In U.S. Strikes On Taliban

Calendar

THURSDAY | OCTOBER 10

8:45 a.m. 1615 H St. N.W. — U.S. Chamber of Commerce and FICO Cybersecurity Summit, with Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan; Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers; and Tonya Ugoretz, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division. https://www.uschamber.com/event

2 p.m. — Government Executive holds a web event “Citizens, Soldiers, and Staff: How Digital Transformation is Reshaping the DOD and Civilian Agency Experience,” with David Beirne, director of the Defense Department’s Federal Voting Assistance Program; Kevin Coleman, chief of customer contact operations in the Citizenship and Immigration Services IRIS Directorate; Martha Dorris, founder of Dorris Consulting International; and Cary Cusumano, CX design strategist at Verizon. https://www.govexec.com/feature/verizon-viewcast/

FRIDAY | OCTOBER 11

11 a.m. 1501 Lee Hwy. — Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies discussion on “The Future of RAF – USAF Cooperation and Integration,” with RAF Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston. http://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org

WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 16

2 p.m. 2118 Rayburn. — House Armed Services Committee Subcommittees on Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities, and Subcommittee on Readiness joint hearing on “Resiliency of Military Installations to Emerging Threats.” Witnesses Robert McMahon, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment; John Henderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment, and Energy; Alex Beehler, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment; and Lucian Niemeyer, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment. https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I am ashamed for the first time in my career.”

Anonymous U.S. Special Forces soldier serving alongside Kurdish forces in Syria, reacting to President Trump’s pullback of U.S. troops in advance of a Turkish assault, as told to Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin.

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