As options narrow on Syria, Trump prepares to drop sanctions hammer on Turkey

[webfact]

As options narrow on Syria, Trump prepares to drop sanctions hammer on Turkey

By Idrees Ali and Humeyra Pamuk

 

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels ride on a truck near the Turkish-Syrian border gate as seen from Akcakale, in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 13, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration is set to impose economic sanctions on Ankara, potentially as early as this week, for its incursion into northern Syria, one of the few levers the United States still has over NATO-ally Turkey.

 

Using the U.S. military to stop the Turkish offensive on U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters was never an option, defence officials have said, and Trump asked the Pentagon on Sunday to begin a "deliberate" withdrawal of all U.S. troops from northern Syria.

 

After Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday that Trump had authorized "very powerful" new sanctions targeting Turkey, the administration appeared ready to start making good on Trump's threat to obliterate Turkey's economy.

 

On Sunday, Trump said he was listening to Congress, where Republicans and Democrats are pushing aggressively for sanctions action.

 

"Dealing with @LindseyGrahamSC and many members of Congress, including Democrats, about imposing powerful Sanctions on Turkey," Trump said on Twitter, referring to the loyal Trump ally and U.S. senator who lambasted the president last week.

 

"Treasury is ready to go, additional legislation may be sought. There is great consensus on this. Turkey has asked that it not be done. Stay tuned!" he added.

 

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that sanctions were "being worked out at all levels of the government for rollout."

 

Trump is struggling to quell harsh criticism, including from some of his staunchest Republican backers, that he gave Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan a green light to attack the Kurds last Sunday when he decided to pull a small number of U.S. troops out of the border area.

 

Turkey's offensive aims to neutralize the Kurdish YPG militia, the main component of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and seen by Ankara as a terrorist group aligned with Kurdish insurgents in Turkey. But the SDF has also been Washington's key ally in fighting that has dismantled Islamic State's jihadist "caliphate" in Syria.

 

Trump's decision, rooted in his long-stated aim to get the United States out of "endless wars," has prompted bipartisan concerns that it opens the door to the revival of Islamic State.

 

While sanctions appear to be the strongest tool of deterrence, the United States and its European allies could also ponder arms sales bans and the threat of war crimes prosecutions.

 

"Good decision by President @realDonaldTrump to work with Congress to impose crippling sanctions against Turkeys outrageous aggression/war crimes in Syria," Graham tweeted.

 

'MONUMENTAL FAILURE'

It is unclear what sanctions are in the order drafted last week, which Mnuchin said was ready for activation at any moment, and whether they would be as severe as what lawmakers are proposing.

 

Representatives Eliot Engel, the Democratic chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, and Mike McCaul, the committee's senior Republican, introduced a bill last Friday that would sanction Turkish officials involved in the Syria operation and banks involved with Turkey's defence sector until Turkey ends military operations in Syria.

 

It also would stop arms from going to Turkish forces in Syria, and require the administration to impose existing sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of a Russian S-400 missile-defence system.

 

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said late on Friday that Turkey would retaliate against any steps aimed at countering its efforts to fight terrorism, in response to the announcement of possible U.S. sanctions against Turkey.

 

The United States has successfully gone after Turkey with sanctions and tariffs before, hitting Ankara last year to pressure authorities to return an American pastor on trial for terrorism charges.

 

The United States could look at targeting arm sales to Turkey, something a number of European countries have already done. France said on Saturday that it had suspended all weapon sales to Turkey and warned Ankara that its offensive in northern Syria threatened European security.

 

The White House could also look at increasing pressure on Turkey over reports of human rights abuses during the offensive, with a threat of war crimes prosecutions.

 

The United States is looking into reports that a Kurdish politician and captured Kurdish fighters were killed in northeastern Syria amid Turkey's offensive, a State Department spokesman told Reuters, adding that Washington found the reports disturbing.

 

In response to the reports, the U.S. official said: "This is awful. All these are among the issues that is addressed by our executive order," referring to the sanctions.

 

Experts doubted that any of the U.S. punishments would make Erdogan change his mind, given his long-held belief that the Kurdish fighters in Syria threaten national security and whom Ankara sees as a branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

 

"This is a monumental failure on behalf of the United States," said Aaron Stein, director of the Middle East program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute think tank.

 

Stein said it would be the Syrian government or Russia, not American sanctions, that could stop the Turkish operation.

 

"The only thing that will stop them is if the regime or the Russians move in significant numbers to where they stop," Stein said.

 

The Syrian army will deploy along the length of the border with Turkey in an agreement with the Kurdish-led administration in northern Syria to help repel a Turkish offensive, the Kurdish-led administration said on Sunday.

 

The United States does have one person that Erdogan has long wanted extradited: the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Turkey of orchestrating a failed 2016 military coup against Erdogan.

 

U.S. officials have said the courts would require sufficient evidence to extradite the elderly Gulen, who has denied any involvement in the coup and has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999.

 

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-14

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[canuckamuck]

The US really shouldn't be involved over there, but putting the hurt of Edrogan is definitely needed. That guy is a cancer. He really needs to be isolated.

[car720]

Send in Lawrence.

[Tug]

A totally unessary fiasco created by Donald trump he continues to bring us shame and disgrace creating new enemies every day what’s happening now kinda makes me feel like I did when we learned about the me liae massacre deep shame

[ChrisY1]

It's debatable whether sanctions applied by the US are actually very successful any longer...certainly haven't made a whole lot of change to countries eg: N Korea

[Tug]

Just now, ChrisY1 said:

It's debatable whether sanctions applied by the US are actually very successful any longer...certainly haven't made a whole lot of change to countries eg: N Korea

Trump has property in turkey I’d be surprised if anything comes of his threats

[steven100]

17 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

It's debatable whether sanctions applied by the US are actually very successful any longer...certainly haven't made a whole lot of change to countries eg: N Korea

yes …. I tend to agree with that statement, as it seems when sanctions are enforced the country and it's people just carry on as normal and the sanctions are normally suppose to punish the government or leader and in reality it doesn't affect the leader one bit, only the pubic suffer who have absolutely nothing to do with the conflict. eg: Iran, N.Korea

 

 

[TopDeadSenter]

28 minutes ago, Tug said:

A totally unessary fiasco created by Donald trump he continues to bring us shame and disgrace creating new enemies every day what’s happening now kinda makes me feel like I did when we learned about the me liae massacre deep shame

Are you able to explain exactly why the US army and taxpayer dollars should be used to enforce the Turkey/Syria border(on the other side of the world), yet should not be used to protect the US/Mexico border(at home to protect Americans and the American lifestyle)?

 

 Once again, the error was the US getting involved in the first place, not their pulling out. Invading sovereign nations far away - good!, and withdraw troops that should never have been there = bad! is a hard sell to any thinking and rational being. I'm afraid the Syrians and Turks will just have to work this out themselves. If external enforcement is needed there is always the UN.

[stevenl]

3 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Are you able to explain exactly why the US army and taxpayer dollars should be used to enforce the Turkey/Syria border(on the other side of the world), yet should not be used to protect the US/Mexico border(at home to protect Americans and the American lifestyle)?

 

 Once again, the error was the US getting involved in the first place, not their pulling out. Invading sovereign nations far away - good!, and withdraw troops that should never have been there = bad! is a hard sell to any thinking and rational being. I'm afraid the Syrians and Turks will just have to work this out themselves. If external enforcement is needed there is always the UN.

I thought the preference was to fight war, like on Isis, on foreign soil?

[canuckamuck]

On 10/14/2019 at 7:37 AM, Tug said:

A totally unessary fiasco created by Donald trump he continues to bring us shame and disgrace creating new enemies every day what’s happening now kinda makes me feel like I did when we learned about the me liae massacre deep shame

The whole region was <deleted> long before Trump was on the scene. Getting out of it is the best plan.

[soalbundy]

27 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Are you able to explain exactly why the US army and taxpayer dollars should be used to enforce the Turkey/Syria border(on the other side of the world), yet should not be used to protect the US/Mexico border(at home to protect Americans and the American lifestyle)?

 

 Once again, the error was the US getting involved in the first place, not their pulling out. Invading sovereign nations far away - good!, and withdraw troops that should never have been there = bad! is a hard sell to any thinking and rational being. I'm afraid the Syrians and Turks will just have to work this out themselves. If external enforcement is needed there is always the UN.

If you say 'A' then you have to say 'B' the US got involved so now they have a moral duty to see it through. The US never gets involved in anything unless it is financially attractive for uncle Sam, when it isn't any longer they rush for the exit. They have a large reservoir of young uneducated patriots who love to salute and shout "yoh" willing to crush any fledgling growth of popular democracy if it goes against the wishes of Halliburton and the military industrial complex, it is no wonder that there is terrorism in the world where the world's policeman stamps its foot.

[pkspeaker]

With draw from the rest of syria as well, and then get started on getting the final bases out of iraq.. The US does not even tell it's taxpayers how much money it is sinking into Iraq/Syria a year, they just work it into the overall defense budget.. Under GWB the congress was asked for 'supplemental' budget requests every year to pay for the Iraq war, amounting to hundreds of billions a year; that changed under obama so he could bul$it everyone into thinking he 'withdrew from iraq'  their presence there is useless anyways because iranian backed militia's control iraq and the border with syria.. so if the agenda is to 'decrese iranian enfluence' in the region-that is not happening.. if the agenda is 'to fight isis'-that's something the syrian army can do better..

[spidermike007]

Sanctions imposed by the US mean less and less every day, as the nation is facing a dramatically diminished influence throughout the world, as the empire wanes. Respect for the US is at an all time low. And after alienating virtually every ally, you cannot go to them with your hands out and ask them to support the sanctions. Foreign policy does not work like that. But, competent and intelligent people understand that concept. Unhinged maniacs do not. 

 

Trump created this problem. He is extremely fearful, cowardly and risk averse. We only had 1,000 soldiers and advisors there. They cost less than a trip to Mar a Lago. Keeping thousands of IS prisoners at bay was somehow not a priority anymore?

 

Absolutely inane decision making. Trump needs to be stopped. Lock him up. 

[tgw]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

The US really shouldn't be involved over there, but putting the hurt of Edrogan is definitely needed. That guy is a cancer. He really needs to be isolated.

I think this is disrespectful to people who have cancer.

Let's call him Syphilis instead.

[pkspeaker]

At least erdrogen has a legitimate dog in the fight.  They have Kurdish majority area's in Turkey itself and Kurdish 'terrorist' groups in Iraq and Syria who's stated purpose is to united the Kurdish parts of Turkey into a kurdish state the also encompasses the Kurdish parts of Iraq and even some in Iran & Syria.. The US and israel have no business in this country and take shots at the syrian army for the benefit of alqueda groups- which they are backing with weapons transfers..

[mauGR1]

27 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

The US never gets involved in anything unless it is financially attractive for uncle Sam, when it isn't any longer they rush for the exit.

Hear, hear, who would have thought..

[pegman]

This is all part and parcel of Trump's MAGA  strategy (MAKE al-ASSAD GREAT AGAIN).

[Becker]

Link: Retired Marine Gen. John Allen: 'There is blood on Trump's hands for abandoning our Kurdish allies'

[Tug]

27 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Sanctions imposed by the US mean less and less every day, as the nation is facing a dramatically diminished influence throughout the world, as the empire wanes. Respect for the US is at an all time low. And after alienating virtually every ally, you cannot go to them with your hands out and ask them to support the sanctions. Foreign policy does not work like that. But, competent and intelligent people understand that concept. Unhinged maniacs do not. 

 

Trump created this problem. He is extremely fearful, cowardly and risk averse. We only had 1,000 soldiers and advisors there. They cost less than a trip to Mar a Lago. Keeping thousands of IS prisoners at bay was somehow not a priority anymore?

 

Absolutely inane decision making. Trump needs to be stopped. Lock him up. 

Thanks spidermike007 you are far more articulate than I !

[Franko666]

2 hours ago, Tug said:

A totally unessary fiasco created by Donald trump he continues to bring us shame and disgrace creating new enemies every day what’s happening now kinda makes me feel like I did when we learned about the me liae massacre deep shame

Try catching up with current events, dwelling in the past is no good for your mental health.

[Paul Henry]

No problems POTUS will put sanctions on Turkish Delight and Rose Water. This will bring the Turkish economy crashing. Trade wars are easy to win.

[Franko666]

16 minutes ago, pegman said:

This is all part and parcel of Trump's MAGA  strategy (MAKE al-ASSAD GREAT AGAIN).

Well Assad is Syria’s elected leader just like Trump is in the US, and just like Trump the weak Opposition are trying anything legal and illegal to eject their leaders. A Coup is a Coup, whether it’s hard or soft.

[pegman]

On 10/14/2019 at 8:15 AM, canuckamuck said:

The whole region was <deleted> long before Trump was on the scene. Getting out of it is the best plan.

This all started when Iraq was invaded on  false pretences in 2003. When the debate was going on whether to get involved, in our country, which side of that divide were you on? 

[Cryingdick]

4 minutes ago, pegman said:

This all started when Iraq was invaded on  false pretences in 2003. When the debate was going on whether to get involved, in our country, which side of that divide were you on? 

It has to stop now.

[stevenl]

9 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

It has to stop now.

Yes, but with a plan. Not by abandoning allies on a whim.

[Becker]

17 minutes ago, Franko666 said:

Well Assad is Syria’s elected leader just like Trump is in the US, and just like Trump the weak Opposition are trying anything legal and illegal to eject their leaders. A Coup is a Coup, whether it’s hard or soft.

Interesting that you liken Assad with Trump as both are in power thanks to Putin.

 

PS. Wrt Assad being Syria's "elected" leader:

"On 10 July 2000, Assad was elected as President, succeeding his father, who died in office a month prior. In the 2000 and subsequent 2007 election, he received 99.7% and 97.6% support, respectively, in uncontested referendums on his leadership.[2][3][4] On 16 July 2014, Assad was sworn in for another seven-year term after receiving 88.7% of votes in the first contested presidential election in Ba'athist Syria's history.[5][6][7] The election was held only in areas controlled by the Syrian government during the country's ongoing civil war and was dismissed as a "sham" by the Syrian opposition and its Western allies,[8][9]

[LomSak27]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Are you able to explain exactly why the US army and taxpayer dollars should be used to enforce the Turkey/Syria border(on the other side of the world), yet should not be used to protect the US/Mexico border(at home to protect Americans and the American lifestyle)?

 

Forgetting Junior Bush and his Iraq Attack are we.  Sorry but people still remember how his distablizing of the middle east is still paying dividends. 

 

 

[canuckamuck]

15 minutes ago, pegman said:

This all started when Iraq was invaded on  false pretences in 2003. When the debate was going on whether to get involved, in our country, which side of that divide were you on? 

I was pro war in Iraq when I was being fed lies and didn't know much about the bigger issues.

I realize now that it was part of a bigger plan to destabilize the region, sell weapons and profit from war. And job well done I might add. It is time American's stopped feeding the war machine. It is a horrible legacy they have created.

[Tagged]

1 minute ago, canuckamuck said:

I was pro war in Iraq when I was being fed lies and didn't know much about the bigger issues.

I realize now that it was part of a bigger plan to destabilize the region, sell weapons and profit from war. And job well done I might add. It is time American's stopped feeding the war machine. It is a horrible legacy they have created.

And who had to pay for the richer to get richer? 

 

Americans, at the same time jobs dissapeared to South America, India and China. 

 

Well done

[Opl]

19 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Yes, but with a plan. Not by abandoning allies on a whim.

I believe this move from Trump (to revigorate ISIS) , the way he did it (stabbing allies in the back) , the political reason why ( his own reelection) , will stay in World History as his main achievement in fueling conflicts in the M.E, on a regional scale, or more.