Sen. Rob Portman said on Thursday that President Trump’s sudden withdrawal of troops from Syria sends the wrong message to U.S. allies and has already inflicted damage on the region.
The Ohio Republican said he’s concerned about Turkey’s military offensive since President Trump announced he was calling back troops from northern Syria, a move condemned by members of both parties that leaves Kurdish allies, who have helped the U.S. fight ISIS, vulnerable to attack.
“I get what the President is saying in terms of us not wanting to have the endless wars in the Middle East, but this was a situation where it was actually working,” Mr. Portman told reporters. “We had a very small number of U.S. forces involved in air power that was keeping the peace and keeping ISIS fighters locked up.
“It’s never been perfect in that part of the world, but it was working to that extent, and I’m concerned now that we are leaving the Kurds to their own devises and they’re being attacked. That’s not only wrong with regard to our Kurdish allies there, but also sends a message to current and future potential allies about U.S. commitment.”
The senator’s remarks came before Vice President Mike Pence announced Thursday in Ankara, Turkey, that the nation had agreed to a five-day ceasefire.
Mr. Portman had said earlier that he would back a bipartisan resolution introduced today by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) and Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.) that will impose sanctions on Turkey if its armed forces remain in Syria.
He said sanctions are “the tool we have available to us. We’ll see whether it’s adequate. Turkey has to decide whether they’re going to back down and support a ceasefire, which is what we’re asking for.”
Mr. Portman joins domestic lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who have rebuked the President over his withdrawal.
Mr. Graham, a one-time Trump ally whose relationship with Mr. Trump has appeared strained in recent days, has vowed to become the President’s “worst nightmare” unless more is done to protect Kurdish fighters.
Mr. Portman has also not shied away from calling out the President. He said recently he didn’t think it was right for Mr. Trump to ask China and Ukraine for help investigating a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.
The vice president and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were in Turkey to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the ceasefire.
“In the meantime, there’s been a lot of damage done,” Mr. Portman said.
On Wednesday, 12 members of Ohio’s U.S. House delegation voted to rebuke the President’s actions in Syria, including Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) and Bob Latta (R., Bowling Green). Reps. Jim Jordan (R., Urbana) and Warren Davidson (R., Troy) voted against it.
The entire House voted 345-60 to support the measure.
First Published October 17, 2019, 4:28 p.m.
