Dubai – Masaader News
Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, has denied the US gave Turkey a “green light” for its offensive in Syria, according to BBC.
Pompeo defended President Donald Trump’s widely criticised decision to withdraw US troops from the northern border area.
Turkey on Wednesday launched an assault on territory held by Kurdish-led forces – key allies of the US in the region.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the aim was to “prevent the creation of a terror corridor” on the border.
Turkey said its plan was to create a “safe zone” cleared of Kurdish militias which will also house Syrian refugees.
But critics say the operation could lead to ethnic cleansing of the local Kurdish population in northern Syria and a revival of the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
Kurdish-led forces vowed to resist the offensive and have already clashed with Turkish troops.
The Kurds – who helped defeat IS in Syria and were key US allies in that fight – guard thousands of IS fighters and their relatives in prisons and camps in areas under their control. It is unclear whether they will continue to do so if battles break out.