David Eubank reports the attack by the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army on Friday:
An American in northeastern Syria leading a humanitarian aid effort says the ceasefire agreement brokered Thursday by Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan already has been broken.
Forces of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army attacked the border town of Ras al-Ain – also known as Sari Kani – this morning, wounding at least 30 people, said David Eubank, the founder of the Free Burma Rangers.
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Eubank, who told WND earlier this week the Kurdish leaders with whom he is working feel deeply betrayed by their American allies, said he and his team are trying to reach the surrounded town to treat the wounded.
"We are at the front line south of Sari Kani, and we are trying to get through to help evacuate the wounded but cannot because of the attacks and because the FSA has blocked all access," he said in an email to supporters Friday.
"We need prayer and a humanitarian corridor to open the way to get the wounded and any civilians out."
Eubank, in a video, told of a family that was among the 300,000 who have fled their homes because of the Turkish offensive that began one week ago.
He said the fleeing Kurds are saying, "Where is America? Why did you do this? Why did you leave us?"
SDF forces confirmed to CNN that shelling by the Turkish military and their Syrian Free Army proxies hit a number of civilian areas in Ras al-Ain, including a hospital.
The SDF says five fighters were killed in the attack.
"SDF are committed to the ceasefire, but from last night until this morning we are seeing shelling on Ras al-Ain by the Turkish military and its mercenaries on SDF and civilian Kurdish targets, and in particular on the Ras al-Ain hospital in the city this morning," SDF Press Commander Merivan Qamishlo said.
"The situation inside the Ras al-Ain Hospital is catastrophic. Three ambulance vehicles belonging to the Kurdish Red Crescent were prevented from entering and were shot at. The city is completely surrounded by air and ground from the Turkish military," he added.
Trump: 'There is good will on both sides'
The agreement Thursday was a five-day halt to Turkey's offensive into northern Syria, which was launched after President Trump announced the removal of U.S. special forces. The U.S. was allied with the SDF to defeat ISIS.
President Trump issued a tweet Friday morning saying he had just spoken to Erdogan.
"He told me there was minor sniper and mortar fire that was quickly eliminated. He very much wants the ceasefire, or pause, to work. Likewise, the Kurds want it, and the ultimate solution, to happen.
"Too bad there wasn’t this thinking years ago," Trump continued. "Instead, it was always held together with very weak bandaids, & in an artificial manner. There is good will on both sides & a really good chance for success."
Trump said the U.S. "has secured the Oil, & the ISIS Fighters are double secured by Kurds & Turkey."
The president said he had "just been notified that some European Nations are now willing, for the first time, to take the ISIS Fighters that came from their nations."
"This is good news, but should have been done after WE captured them."
'Strength of our hand has been diminished'
In an interview Friday morning with Fox News, Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas – a former Navy SEAL officer – explained why he opposed Trump's decision to withdraw troops that had fought with the SDF to defeat and contain ISIS.
"We had a very small cost-effective force there maintaining pressure on ISIS and maintaining some semblance of stability in the region," he said.
Crenshaw said he supports the administration in "trying to correct course" but insisted "we didn't have to be in this situation where we are chaotically trying to move, from minute to minute, trying to solve this problem."
"We could have come at this with a little more careful thought and strategy instead of rapidly pulling our troops out and allowing this chaos to ensue," Crenshaw said.
He said it's important to be "objective and pragmatic" about the current situation, and "if we can get European nations to take in ISIS fighters, great."
"But the reality is the strength of our hand has been diminished as soon as we pulled out and let other forces take on our bases, instead of doing it in a strategic, controlled manner," he said, referring to Russia and its ally, the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.
"That's my only criticism on this."