By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | Arizona Republic
In a rare moment of bipartisanship, Arizona’s U.S. senators each criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to move American troops out of northern Syria as Turkey is preparing to move forward with a military operation.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., said this week the move threatens U.S. security while Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., said she is “deeply concerned” that abandoning allies in a fight against Islamic State militants will “be left hanging.”
With their remarks, Sinema and McSally join bipartisan calls questioning Trump’s decision to withdraw from the area. The president’s announcement, which came late Sunday after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, represents a shift in the U.S.’s approach towards the region and Kurdish allies that have helped fight ISIS.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned in a statement that a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria “would only benefit Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime” and increase the risk that ISIS and other terrorist groups regroup in the region.
