With U.S. troop convoys making their way back into Iraq, the Monday evening newscasts of CBS and NBC showed off images of military vehicles being assailed by Kurds who were lobbing “potatoes and other objects” at them as they drove by. NBC, in particular, was vicious enough to highlight a sign trying to shame U.S. troops and blame them for the deaths of children.
“Some troops may be kept to protect oil fields from ISIS. And as Holly Williams reports tonight from the Syrian border with Turkey, departing U.S. troops are getting a hostile sendoff,” announced failing CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell.
Foreign correspondent Holly Williams began her report by pointing out the “potatoes and other objects being thrown at an American convoy by furious locals in northeastern Syria today. They also hurled abuse.”
She lamented how the U.S. used to be “beloved” in the region and pushed an assertion that President Trump was responsible for “ethnic cleansing”:
In this part of the world, the U.S. was popular, even beloved. Kurdish-led forces were America's closest partners on the ground in the fight against ISIS in Syria. Now they say they have been betrayed as American troops withdraw to neighboring Iraq, the Kurds have invited Syrian regime forces into their territory. 200,000 civilians have reportedly fled the clashes with Turkey.
“Mr. President, what makes you think you have the right to drive millions of Kurds out of their homes,” tweeted a Kurdish spokesman. “Isn't this ethnic cleansing?”
Of course, early last month, CBS ignored former Defense Secretary and retired Marine general, James Mattis when he excoriated President Obama for his “catastrophic” decision to pull out of Iraq.
Meanwhile, on NBC Nightly News, chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel declared the U.S. withdrawal: “one of the lowest moments of America's reputation in the Middle East in years,” while sharing a video of Kurds “throwing potatoes and yelling insults at American troops ordered out of Syria.”
“At another location, Kurds holding signs for U.S. troops saying, ‘tell your children Kurdish children are dying and we did nothing to protect them,’” he boasted. “President Trump, unmoved,” he chided, as if the President was in the convoy and looking at the sign himself (he wasn’t).
Engels detested Trump’s point that there was no formal agreement to protect the Kurds forever, huffing: “There is no formal agreement except the word and bond U.S. troops gave to the Kurds who fought with them for five years against ISIS, losing 11,000 men and women. Many of those U.S. troops are now headed to Iraq to fight ISIS.”
“Tonight, the Pentagon announcing some U.S. troops could stay in Syria to protect oil fields,” he bemoaned, despite the fact that that was how ISIS was able to finance their now-sundered caliphate.
The liberal media’s hypocrisy on this topic was intense. They celebrated Obama’s “catastrophic” decision to pull out of Iraq, but they were suddenly offended when Trump did something similar. So much for the anti-war left.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
October 21, 2019
6:38:43 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: The Trump administration now says a small number of U.S. troops may stay in Syria. Now, this shift comes after the President's plan to withdraw all American forces was criticized by Democrats and Republicans. Some troops may be kept to protect oil fields from ISIS. And as Holly Williams reports tonight from the Syrian border with Turkey, departing U.S. troops are getting a hostile sendoff.
[Cuts to video]
HOLLY WILLIAMS: Those are potatoes and other objects being thrown at an American convoy by furious locals in northeastern Syria today. They also hurled abuse.
In this part of the world, the U.S. was popular, even beloved. Kurdish-led forces were America's closest partners on the ground in the fight against ISIS in Syria. Now they say they have been betrayed as American troops withdraw to neighboring Iraq, the Kurds have invited Syrian regime forces into their territory. 200,000 civilians have reportedly fled the clashes with Turkey.
“Mr. President, what makes you think you have the right to drive millions of Kurds out of their homes,” tweeted a Kurdish spokesman. “Isn't this ethnic cleansing?”
Turkey says it isn't targeting civilians and regards the Kurdish-led forces as a terrorist group. This morning, President Trump weighed in.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We never agreed to protect the Kurds for the rest of their lives. [Transition] We're not going to take a position. Let them fight themselves.
WILLIAMS: President Erdogan has threatened to, quote, "Crush the heads" of the Kurdish fighters if they don't withdraw from the border by tomorrow night.
[Cuts back to live]
Though the U.S. said today it's now considering leaving around 200 troops in eastern Syria, it's Russia that's poised to step into the power vacuum the U.S. left behind. The future of eastern Syria could be decided tomorrow when Turkey's President Erdogan meets Russia's president, Vladimir Putin. Norah.
O’DONNELL: And that's what has so many people worried. Thank you, Holly.
NBC Nightly News
October 21, 2019
7:07:45 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: There is furious reaction tonight from U.S. allies, the Kurds as U.S. troops are now withdrawing from Syria. Richard Engel is in Syria with us.
[Cuts to video]
RICHARD ENGEL: These images tonight, show one of the lowest moments of America's reputation in the Middle East in years. Kurdish civilians, until now, close U.S. allies throwing potatoes and yelling insults at American troops ordered out of Syria. At another location, Kurds holding signs for U.S. troops saying, “tell your children Kurdish children are dying and we did nothing to protect them.”
President Trump, unmoved.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We have a good relationship with the Kurds but we never agreed to protect the Kurds. We fought with them three and a half to four years. We never agreed to protect the Kurds for the rest of their lives. [Transition] Where is the agreement saying we have to stay in the Middle East for the rest of humanity?
ENGEL: There is no formal agreement except the word and bond U.S. troops gave to the Kurds who fought with them for five years against ISIS, losing 11,000 men and women. Many of those U.S. troops are now headed to Iraq to fight ISIS. NBC's Matt Bradley is there.
MATT BRADLEY: After more than four years of U.S. boots on the ground in Syria, U.S. Soldiers have finally arrived here in northern Iraq. They’re withdrawing. This is their convey.
ENGEL: Tonight, the Pentagon announcing some U.S. troops could stay in Syria to protect oil fields.
[Cuts back to live]
Around a quarter-million Kurds have already run from their homes including, aid workers say, 70,000 children, hundreds have been killed by Turkey's offensive, which could resume tomorrow when the seize fire ends. Lester?
HOLT: Richard Engel in Syria tonight, thanks.
