LINCOLN, NEB. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairman of the subcommittee on Strategic Forces, released the following statement after Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said the president has ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria:
“I am increasingly concerned by the situation on the ground in Syria. The Kurds have been some of our strongest partners in the fight against ISIS, and the U.S. departure will leave a vacuum in the region which benefits Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime. Turkey’s actions have put the fight against radical extremism at risk, and have given ISIS and Al Qaeda an opportunity to regroup and grow. The national security interests of the United States require continued commitment to the mission in Syria, and now is not the time to disengage in the face of Turkey’s reckless incursion.”
