America's Kurdish allies in Syria are being abandoned

The last time Trump ordered all US troops to leave northern Syria and come home there was such an outcry from some of his strongest supporters and such cries of betrayal from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the largely Kurdish militia trained and funded by the US to fight and defeat Isis, that the president was persuaded to change his mind. But no one thought that would be for ever. Basically Trump has been desperate to get the troops home for more than a year. His view is, Isis has been defeated, the caliphate is destroyed, so what on earth are several hundred special operation troops doing still in the region? Now he has done it again. But this time there is a more sinister game. After a phone call from President Erdogan of Turkey, Trump agreed to leave the north of Syria to the Turkish army and let them invade the country to set up a huge secure border area free of Kurds, all of whom Ankara condemns as terrorists, part of the same family as the PKK who have been fighting for independence in Turkey for as long as one can remember. So Erdogan has been given a free pass to send thousands of troops into northern Syria to kill Kurds, the very same fighters who fought loyally for the US to drive Isis into extinction. Thank you Mr Trump, nothing like a bit of loyalty returned. Trump sees a bigger picture. Keeping Turkey on side is crucial in the strategic aim of preventing Ankara from turning more and more to Russia. Erdogan has already bought Russian SS-400 missile defences, screwing up its purchase of US F-35 joint strike fighters. So Trump wanted to do Erdogan a favour and told him he could do what he wanted in northern Syria but to wait until all US troops had left the area. Kurds? What Kurds? It's one of the most cynical acts by one of the most cynical US administrations. Will Mark Esper, newish US defence secretary, resign in protest? Only a few days ago he was lauding the joint US/Turkish patrols going on in northern Syria. Those patrols will now come to an abrupt end. Even Senator Lindsey Graham, the staunch Republican supporter of Trump, has expressed shock and dismay and has urged the retention of US troops in northern Syria. But this time I doubt Trump will be persuaded. He thinks the whole exercise is ridiculous and is more than happy to leave Syria to everyone or anyone else. And there is one extra ingredient in this betrayal which he is happy about. When the Turkish army pours over the border, its troops will have to take over control of the prisons holding about 12,000 Isis prisoners, 4,000 of them foreigners. The SDF had until now been in charge and had threatened to release them unless other countries took over. So now it will be the Turks. That's the deal. That suits Trump and now he can cross Syria off his list of things to do. The SDF has been betrayed and many of its fighters will now die in yet another war in Syria.