Trump suggests Kurds freeing IS prisoners to involve US in Syria

US President Donald Trump suggested Monday that Kurdish fighters may be releasing imprisoned Islamic State jihadists to force the United States to remain involved in northeastern Syria.

“Europe had a chance to get their ISIS prisoners, but didn’t want the cost. ‘Let the USA pay,’ they said…” Trump tweeted, using an alternate acronym for the Islamic State extremist group.

“….Kurds may be releasing some to get us involved. Easily recaptured by Turkey or European Nations from where many came, but they should move quickly.”

Also Monday, Turkey’s defense minister accused Syrian Kurdish fighters of “emptying” a prison in northeast Syria holding IS militants before Turkish troops arrived in the area.

Hulusi Akar said the prison was the only one holding IS jihadists located in the border strip east of the Euphrates River targeted in Turkey’s military offensive.

Hundreds of Islamic State families and supporters escaped from a holding camp in Syria amid the fighting between Turkish forces and the Kurds. It was not immediately clear if Akar was referring to that camp.

Turkey’s cross-border incursion, now into its sixth day, has raised the specter of an IS resurgence.

Turkey says it is determined to fight the IS group in addition to the Syrian Kurdish forces that it considers a threat because of their links to outlawed Kurdish rebels in Turkey.