Trump Tells Turkey's Leader: US to Stop Arming Syrian Kurds
The United States will cut off its supply of arms to Kurdish fighters in Syria   President Donald Trump  told the Turkish president on Friday  in a move sure to please Turkey but further alienate Syrian Kurds who bore much of the fight against the Islamic State group.
In a phone call with  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  Trump  said  he 'd "given clear instructions" that the Kurds will receive no more weapons — "and that this nonsense should have ended a long time ago " said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The White House confirmed  the move in a cryptic statement about the phone call that said Trump had informed the Turk of "pending adjustments to the military support provided to our partners on the ground in Syria ."
The White House called  the move  "consistent with our previous policy" and noted the recent fall of Raqqa  once the Islamic State group's self-declared capital but recently liberated by a largely Kurdish force. The Trump administration announced in May it would start arming the Kurds in anticipation of the fight to retake Raqqa.
Cavusoglu  who said he was in the room with Erdogan during Trump's call  quoted the U.S. president as saying he had given instructions to U.S. generals and to national security adviser H.R. McMaster that "no weapons would be issued."
Trump's decision appeared to catch both the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department off guard. Officials at both agencies  who would normally be informed of changes in U.S. policy toward arming the Syrian Kurds  said they were unaware of any changes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
It was unclear whether the Trump administration notified the Kurds of the move before telling the Turks. Nor was it how much significance the change would have on the ground  considering the fight against IS is almost over.
The United States will cut off its supply of arms to Kurdish fighters in [TGT]told the Turkish president on Friday  in a move sure to please Turkey but further alienate Syrian Kurds who bore much of the fight against the Islamic State group.
In a phone call with  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  [TGT]said  [TGT] 'd "given clear instructions" that the Kurds will receive no more weapons — "and that this nonsense should have ended a long time ago " said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The White House confirmed  the move in a cryptic statement about the phone call that said [TGT] had informed the Turk of "pending adjustments to the military support provided to our partners on the ground in Syria ."
The White House called  the move  "consistent with our previous policy" and noted the recent fall of Raqqa  once the Islamic State group's self-declared capital but recently liberated by a largely Kurdish force. The [TGT] administration announced in May it would start arming the Kurds in anticipation of the fight to retake Raqqa.
Cavusoglu  who said he was in the room with Erdogan during Trump's call  quoted the U.S. president as saying he had given instructions to U.S. generals and to national security adviser H.R. McMaster that "no weapons would be issued.[TGT]'s decision appeared to catch both the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department off guard. Officials at both agencies  who would normally be informed of changes in U.S. policy toward arming the Syrian Kurds  said they were unaware of any changes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
It was unclear whether the [TGT] administration notified the Kurds of the move before telling the Turks. Nor was it how much significance the change would have on the ground  considering the fight against IS is almost over.