Kurds Confront Exiting U.S. Troops In Syria With Heartbreaking Signs
In a gut-wrenching series of videos, Kurds holding signs confronted a convoy of massive U.S. tanks and trucks rolling out of northern Syria and into Iraq.
“Thanks for U.S. people, but Trump betrayed us,” read one sign.
Another said: “To the U.S. Army who are leaving northeast Syria, tell your children that the children of the Kurds were killed by the Turks and you did nothing to protect them.”
U.S. troops were emotional and tearful as they withdrew from Syria, and saluted their former comrades-in-arms, wrote Voice of America writer and specialist in Kurdish politics Mutlu Civiroglu, who posted the videos on Twitter, wrote.
— Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) October 21, 2019
— Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) October 21, 2019
Tonight N. Syria. Abondoned Kurds show their disappointment and anger to American forces who were ordered to withdraw. One sign reads ‘Tell your children that the children of the Kurds were killed by the Turks and you did nothing to protect them" #SaveKurds pic.twitter.com/9DY89fdxd9
— Mutlu Civiroglu (@mutludc) October 21, 2019
President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon Kurdish allies by pulling American troops from northern Syria to cede the battlefield to a Turkish invasion has been harshly criticized by military leaders and both Democrats and Republicans.
It wasn’t clear where in northern Syria the videos were shot. Some news photos of an exiting American convoy were taken in Tel Tamr.
Hundreds of trucks carrying U.S. personnel were gathering near Hasakah in Syria earlier Sunday, en route east to the border with Iraq, CNN reported. It was the largest ground movement the U.S. has made so far in Syria, effectively marking the end of a major American presence in the area.
Trump claimed the U.S. troops were coming home. But Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced Saturday that all of the nearly 1,000 U.S. forces in Syria are being moved to western Iraq.
I feel deep shame for what has happened to our allies the Kurds. I suspect that the service members in those vehicles, flying AMERICAN flags, are mortified that they left our allies defenseless and in fear of their very existence. Make no mistake, only 1 coward is responsible. 45
— BB160 (@BB160) October 21, 2019
God this breaks my heart.
— Jeanne Murdock 🇺🇸🏋️🌊🌊🌊🌎 (@jeanniedm) October 21, 2019
I’m so sorry. 😢
— Otto Titsling4 (Heavenly Mandate Titsling) (@titsling4) October 21, 2019
I watch this and I wonder how many of these people will survive. Will their children survive? Where will they go? #KurdsBetrayedByTrump
— If they are all Fredo, we are all Frodo (@FaganKara) October 21, 2019
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.