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“<\/p>\nNot only have the Kurds been our most trusted allies in the Middle East in the fight against ISIS, but there are more than 40,000 loyal Kurdish-Americans in the U.S., with about 15,000 in the Nashville, Tennessee area and many Kurdish-Americans proudly serving in the U.S. armed forces. I had the honor of representing some of these U.S. citizens who were victims or families of victims of the March 16, 1988 chemical attack by Saddam Hussein\u2019s forces in Iraq against the Kurdish village of Fallabja. I also represented the Kurdish National Congress in the U.S., one of the U.S.-based organizations that was seeking to obtain compensation for the victims of the chemical attack and their surviving families.<\/p>\n
The Kurds once again appear to be the victims of recent chemical attacks in Syria, only now the perpetrators and violators of international law seem to be one of America\u2019s own NATO allies with U.S. nuclear weapons stored there. They\u2019ve been able to carry out these shameful and violent attacks on the Kurds thanks to the sudden withdrawal of support perpetrated by our very own President Trump.<\/p>\n
My deep research and involvement in the chain of conflicts facing the Kurds in the Middle East has shown me that the Kurds are and have been America\u2019s staunchest and most effective allies in the war against ISIS in the Middle East. They have worked closely with U.S. Special Forces to drive out, kill or imprison thousands of ISIS fighters in the northeastern area of Syria that they effectively control. The Kurdish-American alliance has been one of the great success stories of America\u2019s War on Terror since 9\/11, and Kurdish forces deserve the undying gratitude for taking the brunt of the combat responsibilities and the casualties required to rid this area of the ISIS scourge.<\/p>\n
There can be no doubt that the loss of life by U.S. combat units in areas where they are fighting alongside their Kurdish brothers and sisters in arms would have been much greater but for the fact that Kurdish forces had their backs and could always be counted on when the going got tough. As the stepfather of a Marine, I am forever grateful for the dependability and honor they have shown.<\/p>\n
U.S. servicemen and women are understandably feeling shame and frustration at a commander-in-chief who has abandoned and betrayed our most trusted Kurdish fighting allies. On the battlefield or off, America\u2019s word has always (well, almost always) been its bond, and while it takes a long time to build a relationship of genuine trust, whether on an interpersonal or state-to-state basis, that trust can disappear in an instant when America betrays an ally in such a callous and surprise manner as was done with the Kurds. After a phone call with President Erdogan, Trump announced that U.S. troops in Syria would be pulled back from the Turkish border so that Turkish military forces could \u201cclear out\u201d a buffer zone along the border.<\/p>\n
Even Trump\u2019s use of language is offensive. Terms like \u201cclear out\u201d or \u201cclean out\u201d have been used all too often in the past to justify ethnic cleansing, mass murder and genocide. In this case, Trump\u2019s actions demonstrate a complete disregard for the value of Kurdish lives. After removing U.S. support from the region, chaos and carnage involving the civilian populations predictably ensued. Turkish troops and allied militia groups rapidly advanced with indiscriminate shelling of civilian centers and the reported possible use of white phosphorous chemical munitions, which is banned under international law for use against civilian populations and causes horrific burns and injuries to anyone who comes into contact with it.<\/p>\n
There are about 25 to 35 million Kurds that inhabit the mountainous region straddling Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran and Armenia. They have their own language and culture and comprise the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East. Indeed, they are one of the largest ethnic groups in the world without their own nation state, having had their hopes for an independent \u201cKurdistan\u201d crushed by the treaties signed by the European powers after World War I. Now, without the support of the U.S., the Kurds stand to lose far more than hopes for their own nation state. They are in peril of being completely and permanently wiped out of the Middle East. The U.S. must act immediately to stop the escalating violence against the Kurds and prevent a human rights crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I’ve long been a supporter of Kurdistan, and I think the Kurds should get their country back. So, it is my pleasure, though a sad pleasure, to print this OpEd by Kenneth F. McCallion. Kenneth F. McCallion is an accomplished human rights attorney, former federal prosecutor, and author of “Treason & Betrayal, The Rise and … Continue reading Trump Betrays Kurds, World Must Act to Prevent Human Rights Crisis<\/span>