TO
INTERNATIONAL
% NEWS,
THE UNITED
STATES I
S
% WATCHING
AS AN
ARMY
FROM
TURKEY
% IS
ATTACKING
OUR
ALLIES,
THE
% KURDS.
% TO
HELP
US
UNDERSTAND
WHY
AND% WHAT
IF
ANYTHING OUR
% CONGRESSIONAL
DELEGATION CAN
DO
% ABOUT
IT,
WE'RE
JOINED
BY
ANDREW
% KYDD,
PROFESSOR
OF
POLITICAL
% SCIENCE AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF
% WISCONSIN.
% WELCOME.
% THANKS FOR BEING
HERE.
% AS
OF
LAST
WEEK
THE
KURDS
WERE
% OUR
ALLIES
GUARDING
THE
REMNANTS
% OF
ISIS.
% WHAT SENSE
DOES
IT
MAKE FOR
US
% TO
BACK UP
AND
LET
THEM
BE
% BOMBED BY
TURKEY?
% >>
WELL, A LOT
OF
PEOPLE
ARE
% CRITICAL OF
THAT
MOVE
AND
THINK
% IT
DOESN'T
MAKE
MUCH
SENSE.
% THE RATIONALE
FROM
THE
TRUMP
% ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN THAT THE
% PRESIDENT
WANTS
TO
GET
AMERICAN
% TROOPS OUT OF
THE MIDDLE EAST IN
% GENERAL.
% HE
THINKS
OUR
INVOLVEMENT
IN
THE% MIDDLE
EAST HAS
BEEN A MISTAKE.% SO HE HAS
WANTED OVER
THE
YEARS
% EVER SINCE HE
STARTED
IN
OFFICE
% TO
WITHDRAW U.S.
FORCES
FROM
THE
% REGION
AND
IN
PARTICULAR
FROM
% SYRIA,
WHICH
HE
THREATENED
TO
DO
% BACK IN
DECEMBER OF
LAST
YEAR
% AND
NOW
HAS
GONE
AHEAD WITH
IN
% THE PAST
COUPLE
DAYS.% >>
TRADITIONALLY,
CONGRESS
PLAYS% A
ROLE
IN
ACTS
OF
WAR
AND WE
% HAVE
HEARD
DENUNCIATIONS
FROM
% DEMOCRATS, A LOT
OF
SILENCE
FROM
% REPUBLICANS.
% GREEN
BAY
REPUBLICAN MIKE
% GALLAGHER WROTE
THIS
UNDERMINES
% OUR CREDIBILITY I
N
THE
REGION.
% WHAT
ROLE
DOES
CONGRESS
HAVE
TO
% PLAY?
% CAN
THEY STOP
HIM
FROM
DOING
% ANYTHING
LIKE
THIS?
% >> THEY
PROBABLY
CAN'T
STOP
HIM
% FROM DOING IT.
% WHAT
THEY'RE
TRYING T
O
DO
AT
% THIS POINT
IS
TO
PASS A
BILL, A
% RESOLUTION AT
LEAST,
IMPOSING
% SANCTIONS ON
TURKEY
FOR
DOING
% THIS
AND
TRY
TO
CONFRONT
THE
% PRESIDENT WITH
HIS
CHOICE
OF
% VETOING A
BILL
THAT
WOULD
% PROBABLY
GET
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT
% IN THE
SENATE,
INCLUDING FROM
% REPUBLICANS,
OR
NOT.
% AND IF
HE
WERE
TO SIGN
IT,
THEN
% THE UNITED STATES WOULD
B
E
% IMPOSING
SANCTIONS ON
TURKEY
FOR
% DOING
SOMETHING
THAT PRESIDENT
% TRUMP
HAD
GIVEN
THEM
THE GREEN
% LIGHT TO
DO,
TO
INVADE
NORTHERN
% SYRIA.
% SO
THAT
WOULD
POSE A
DILEMMA
FOR
% THE
PRESIDENT.% >> WHAT ARE
THE
LONG-TERM
% CONSEQUENCES
OF
ABANDONING AN
% ALLY
LIKE
THE
KURDS?
% >> A
LOT
OF
PEOPLE
ARE
WORRIED
% THAT THIS
WILL
UNDERMINE
% AMERICAN
CREDIBILITY,
NOT
JUST
% IN
SYRIA,
BUT AROUND
THE
WORLD
% IN OTHER
CIRCUMSTANCES AS WELL.
% IF
THE UNITED
STATES
CAN
--
JUST% AS A RESULT
OF A
PHONE
CALL
WITH% A
PARTICULAR
LEADER
REVERSE
% YEARS OF
POLICY
IN
THIS
CASE,
% WE'VE BEEN
SUPPORTING
THIS
% PARTICULAR
KURDISH
GROUP
EVER
% SINCE 2015 IN
THE
STRUGGLE
% AGAINST
THE
ISLAMIC
STATE.
% IF WE
SPIN
ON A
DIME
AND
ABANDON
% ANYONE
WHO
HAS
FOUGHT
WITH
U
S,
% LOST
TENS
OF
THOUSANDS OF
LIVES,
%
THAT'S
CREATING
WORRIES
IN
OTHER
% COUNTRIES AS
WELL,
OTHER
ALLIES
% WHO DEPEND
ON
US
SUCH
AS
ISRAEL,
% TAIWAN
TO
SOME
EXTENT, SOUTH
% KOREA ARE
GOING
TO
LOOK AT
THAT
% AND
BE
REALLY SCARED
IN
SOME
% SENSE
BY
THE
IN
CONSTANCY
OF
% AMERICAN POLICY.
% I THINK
THAT'S
WHAT A
LOT
OF
% PEOPLE
ARE
WORRIED
ABOUT.
% >>
ISN'T
THAT TO
BE
EXPECTED
IN
% A
DEMOCRACY
WHERE
WE
CHANGE
% LEADERS?
% COULD
THIS
SHIFT
AGAIN
IF
% THERE'S A NEW LEADER IN
THE
% WHITE
HOUSE,
CHANGE
HOW
WE'RE
% INTERACTING WITH THESE
ALLIES?
% CAN
WE
GET
THESE
RELATIONSHIPS
% BACK?%>> WE COULD.
% IT
TAKES A LONG
TIME
TO
BUILD
% TRUST
AND
IT CAN
BE
DESTROYED
IN% A MOMENT.
% SO
IT
MAY
PROVE
MORE
DIFFICULT
% TO
RESTORE
THAT
TRUST
IF IT
IS
% DAMAGED
THROUGH
THESE
INCIDENTS.
% AND
OTHER
COUNTRIES
I
THINK
WILL
% HAVE TO
LOOK
AT
THE UNITED
% STATES
FROM
NOW
ON
AND
WONDER% WHAT IS THE
SORT
OF
RANGE
OF
% AMERICAN
POLICY
GOING TO
BE.
% PREVIOUSLY THERE
WAS A
CERTAIN
% CONSENSUS
ABOUT
CERTAIN
% COMMITMENT ON THE
PART OF THE% UNITED
STATES,
CERTAINLY
TO
% ISRAEL,
TO SOUTH
KOREA, AND
THE
% PRESIDENT HAS
BEEN
REALLY
% QUESTIONING THOSE
COMMITMENTS
% AND
COMPLAINING
THAT
THE
% EUROPEANS
ARE
FREE
RIDING
OFF
OF
% US AND
GENERALLY
SEEMS TO
HAVE A
% PRETTY
STRONG
ANTIAPPLIANCE
% POINT OF VIEW.
% IF
THAT'S
GOING TO
BE
BECOME
% DOMINANT,
THAT'S A
BIG
SHIFT.% >>