By James Jeffrey, Foreign Policy: “President Donald Trump has his work cut out for him next week in his first meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While many issues crowd their agenda, the situation in northern Syria will be the most difficult.”
Why the U.S. Is Putting Military Needs Over Diplomacy
By Jim Michaels, USA Today: “In deciding to arm Kurdish fighters in Syria, the White House made a risky choice Tuesday that places military expediency over broader diplomatic concerns.”
The outburst comes days before President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit Trump at the White House. The YPG decision is expected to feature high on the agenda, along with the Trump administration’s larger strategy from taking back Raqqa from the Islamic State. US officials have indicated that they want to send their YPG partners 120 mm mortars, machine guns, ammunition and light armored vehicles, but not artillery or surface-to-air missiles.