WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, today issued the following statement:

“President Trump’s decision to acquiesce to President Erdo?an’s offensive against the Kurds is absolutely horrible.  The blood of our partners in the fight against ISIS will be on President Trump’s hands and thousands of hardened ISIS prisoners could be let loose because of his hasty decision. 

“We know President Trump’s decision to abandon the Kurds caught our military and diplomats off guard.  It strengthened the hand of Erdo?an, Putin, Assad, and Khamenei.  But we still don’t have a full accounting of why and how the President reached his decision to stand idly by when so many of our national security interests are at risk.

“Secretary Esper needs to testify before Congress as soon as possible.  I would hope Secretary of State Pompeo and Acting Director of National Intelligence Maguire will be called before the respective oversight committees as well.  We need a full accounting and there is no time to waste. 

“Congress must send a clear, bipartisan signal to this president that we do not condone his decision.  And it has to go beyond tweets and statements.  We need action.”