REBIRTH OF THE ISIS INSURGENCY.
SHEP?
>> Shepard: JENNIFER GRIFFIN
LIVE FROM THE PENTAGON.
EVANS IS
LIVE WITH US FROM ISTANBUL.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT JENNIFER
JUST SAID?
THE POSSIBILITY OF THOSE ISIS
FIGHTERS, SOME 10,000 OF THEM,
BEING RELEASED.
>> WHILE THERE ARE A HUGE NUMBER
OF ISIS FIGHTERS BEING HELD BY
THE FDS FORCES WHICH ARE THE
KURDISH FORCES THAT WERE ALLIED
WITH THE UNITED STATES AND HAD
BEEN FIGHTING WITH U.S. SUPPORT
AGAINST THE ISLAMIC STATE IN
SYRIA FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THEY'VE GOT THOUSANDS OF
CAPTIVES IN THEIR TERRITORY.
WHAT'S NOT CLEAR AT THIS STAGE
IS HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE BEING
HELD IN FACILITIES THAT ARE
WITHIN THE AREA THAT THE TURKISH
ARMED FORCES WILL BE GOING INTO.
AND ITS MAIN TARGET HAS BEEN THE
KURDISH WHITE PG FORCES.
AND, WHAT CAN THEY TELL US IN
THE INVASION THAT'S HAPPENING
NOW, AND THE STATUS OF CIVILIANS
IN THAT AREA.
>> THIS IS DEVELOPING AS WE
SPEAK.
ABOUT SIX HOURS AGO, WHEN THERE
WERE SOUNDS OF EXPLOSIONS, AND
SINCE THEN WE HAVE LEARNED ABOUT
STRIKES IN SEVERAL OTHER TOWNS,
ONE OF THEM ABOUT 20 MILES
INSIDE OF SYRIA AND TO OTHERS IN
THE EXTREMES.
THE ARTILLERY STRIKES AND THE
AIR STRIKES ARE HAPPENING
AGAINST SEVERAL TARGETS, FOR
MANY YEARS NOW, THE
UNITED STATES HAS HELD UP THESE
KURDISH FIGHTERS, AND THESE ARE
THE BEST PARTNERS ON THE GROUND.
IT WAS THOSE KURDISH FIGHTERS,
AND THAT IS THE LEADER'S
REACTION TO BEING ABANDONED BY
THE UNITED STATES.
>> THERE'S A LOT OF ANGER, THEY
DESCRIBED THIS AS BETRAYAL AND
DESCRIBE BUSINESS AS A STAB IN
THE BACK.
AND THIS TURKISH OFFENSIVE WHICH
IS TAKING PLACE TODAY HAS COME
DESPITE LONG WARNINGS FROM
TURKEY.
IN EFFECT IT HAS COME VERY, VERY
QUICKLY SO IT'S VERY DRAMATIC
AND IT'S FAST-PACED.
FOR THE KURDISH FIGHTERS WHO AS
YOU SAID TO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING
WITH THE UNITED STATES FOR YEARS
AND YEARS, IT'S A MOMENT OF DEEP
DISAPPOINTMENT AND BETRAYAL.
>> I HAVE JUST SECONDS LEFT BUT
FROM YOUR EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF
THE REGION WORKING AND LIVING IN
REPORTING IN THAT REGION FOR SO
MANY YEARS, HOW WOULD THE
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN
VIEW THE CURRENT EVENTS?
>> WELL, ON ONE LEVEL, RUSSIA
HAS SAID IT WASN'T INFORMED
ABOUT THIS.
IT WAS NOT APPROVING IT IN ANY
WAY.
ON ONE LEVEL THERE IS POTENTIAL
FOR THE RUSSIANS TO GAIN FROM
THIS.
IF IT LEADS TO CHAOS ELSEWHERE
IN EASTERN SYRIA WHICH IS UNDER
THE CURRENT CONTROL COME FDS
CONTROL THAT WOULD GIVE THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DAMASCUS
GOVERNMENT BACKED BY RUSSIA TO
MOVE INTO SOME OF THE TERRITORY
THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
CONTROL FOR A VERY LONG TIME IN
THIS LONG EIGHT YEAR WAR.