• Turkey formally started a military offensive in Syria Wednesday, launching airstrikes, bombs, and sending in ground troops.
• Numerous civilian and military deaths have been reported, and an estimated 60,000 Syrians have fled the region.
• The move comes after the Trump administration announced it would step aside to let Turkey launch a military operation against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria.
• Many world leaders and U.S. lawmakers, including Republicans who have been staunch supporters of President Trump, condemned the move, with some arguing that Trump will be responsible for the fallout.

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Turkey Launches Offensive

Turkish military forces have entered the second day of an offensive against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria.

The assault started on Wednesday with Turkish forces launching airstrikes, bombing and shelling the territory. Several hours later, Turkish troops crossed the border into Northern Syria, officially starting a ground offensive.

The move comes just days after the White House announced that the U.S. would be stepping aside to allow Turkey to go forward with the long-planned operation while also removing U.S. troops from the region.

The announcement appeared to follow a call between President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan has said that this military operation is necessary to secure Turkey’s border with Syria and clear groups Turkey believes are terrorists. The operation targets the Kurdish groups that largely control that region of Northern Syria.

Specifically, the People’s Protection Unit (YPG) which makes up most of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey claims that those groups are allied with a separatist movement called the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which has been responsible for violent attacks in Turkey.

While Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist group, the U.S. does not. U.S. forces in Syria have recruited and trained the SDF for years to fight alongside them, and the SDF has done the majority of fighting on the ground against ISIS fighters in the region.

For a while, the U.S. has discouraged Turkey from launching a military operation against the Kurdish forces who have been fighting ISIS with them. But now, many have argued that the U.S. has basically given Turkey the green light to launch a military offensive against their own key allies.

The Numbers So far

Shortly after the operation began, pictures and videos began circulating showing civilians fleeing amid smoke from the sites of the bombings.

The New York Times reported that the airstrikes on the first day alone hit in or near at least five towns along more than 150 miles of the border, while Turkey’s Defense Ministry claimed on Thursday that it has hit 181 of its “terrorist” targets.

The Defense Ministry also said Thursday that 174 militants have already been killed, but that has not been independently verified.

Others have reported lower numbers. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 23 SDF fighters were killed though dozens more were injured

As for civilians, the Kurdish Red Crescent reported that at least 11 civilians have been killed so far, including two children.

The Syrian Observatory also said that more than 60,000 Syrians have already fled the immediate region.

The fact that so many are already fleeing is likely to worsen the ongoing refugee crisis in Syria. 

It also appears to complicate Erdogan’s plan to carve out a so-called safe zone at the border where he would return Syrian refugees. Now, many are saying that the military operation will just create more refugees.

World Leaders Respond

Concern over refugees and other humanitarian issues have been raised by numerous world leaders who have condemned Turkey’s actions.

European Union Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement that the EU “calls upon Turkey to cease the unilateral military action,” continuing that the operation will “undermine the stability of the whole region, exacerbate civilian suffering and provoke further displacements.”

.@FedericaMog on behalf of 🇩🇪 & EU partners: 🇪🇺 calls upon 🇹🇷 to cease the unilateral military action. Renewed armed hostilities in the north-east of Syria will further undermine the stability of the whole region, exacerbate civilian suffering & provoke further displacements. pic.twitter.com/1Mubqbkg6R

— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) October 9, 2019

A spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also emphasized the need for civilian protections in a statement.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure should be protected. The secretary-general believes that there’s no military solution to the Syrian conflict,” the spokesperson said.

A number of Middle Eastern leaders have also publicly criticized the move. In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned “the aggression launched by the #Turkish army.” 

“The seriousness of this aggression on northeastern Syria has negative repercussions on the security and stability of the region, especially undermining the [international] efforts in combating ISIS organization,” the statement continued.

#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns the aggression launched by the #Turkish army on several areas of Northeastern #Syria.

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) October 9, 2019

#KSA pointed out that the seriousness of this aggression on northeastern Syria has negative repercussions on the security and stability of the region, especially undermining the int'l efforts in combating ISIS organization.

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) October 9, 2019

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also took to Twitter, where he said that Israel “strongly condemns the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria and warns against the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds by Turkey and its proxies.”

Israel strongly condemns the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria and warns against the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds by Turkey and its proxies.
Israel is prepared to extend humanitarian assistance to the gallant Kurdish people.

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) October 10, 2019

U.S. Leaders Criticize Trump

After Turkey officially launched the military operation, President Trump was swiftly met with outrage by U.S. lawmakers, including notable Republicans who have been staunch supporters of the president. 

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) directly blamed Trump for the violence in a tweet on Wednesday.

“News from Syria is sickening,” she wrote. “Turkish troops preparing to invade Syria from the north, Russian-backed forces from the south, ISIS fighters attacking Raqqa. Impossible to understand why @realDonaldTrump is leaving America’s allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS.”

News from Syria is sickening. Turkish troops preparing to invade Syria from the north, Russian-backed forces from the south, ISIS fighters attacking Raqqa. Impossible to understand why @realDonaldTrump is leaving America’s allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) October 9, 2019

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has also been very vocal in his opposition to the Trump administration’s decision.

“Pray for our Kurdish allies who have been shamelessly abandoned by the Trump Administration,” he said in a tweet. “This move ensures the reemergence of ISIS.” 

Pray for our Kurdish allies who have been shamelessly abandoned by the Trump Administration. This move ensures the reemergence of ISIS.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 9, 2019

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke out on the issue as well, and added that Congress could take action against Trump’s decision,

“[The Kurds] actually fought on the ground. They had people dying. To just abandon them like that so the Turks can come in and slaughter them is not just immoral, it taints our reputation all over the world,” he said.

“It’s a terrible mistake. We’ll have to think of what options there are. I’m sure the Senate will, potentially, take some vote to disagree with that decision.”

Trump Defends Decision

But Trump, for his part, has continued to defend his decision. 

In a statement to the media, Trump said that the U.S. “does not endorse this attack and has made it clear to Turkey that this operation is a bad idea,” and added that Turkey is “committed to protecting civilians, protecting religious minorities, including Christians, and ensuring no humanitarian crisis takes place—and we will hold them to this commitment.”

During a press conference on Wednesday, Trump also reiterated that he would crack down on Turkey economically if they did something he did not like in Syria.

However, several of his later remarks received some backlash.

When asked about the U.S. alliance with the Kurds, Trump said: “As somebody wrote in a very, very powerful article today, they didn’t help us in the Second World War, they didn’t help us with Normandy as an example. They mentioned names of different battles. But they’re there to help us with their land and that’s a different thing.” 

He was also asked by reporters whether he was concerned about ISIS fighters breaking free from Kurdish custody, to which he responded, “Well they’re going to be escaping to Europe. That’s where they want to go, they want to go back to their homes.” 

See what others are saying: (NPR) (BBC) (CNN)

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For years now Revenge Porn has been in the spotlight, popping up whenever a celebrity has their nude images leaked by an ex-partner or hacked from their phone’s cloud service. But the term “Revenge Porn” has been met with criticism, facing pushback because the term “revenge” implies the victim deserved it. Instead, researchers and activists have moved towards using the term Nonconsensual Pornography (NCP).

NCP doesn’t just include revenge porn, but also things like hacks, child pornography, and even casually sharing and showing a nude someone sent you to another third-party. Research shows that a large percentage of everyday people take part in NCP, often without realizing that what they’re doing is wrong.

Groups like the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative have pushed for new laws to be put in place to punish the spread of NCP, and it’s having effects. In the U.S., 46 states, DC, and a territory have enacted some kind of law banning NCP, or it’s various forms. Although there’s yet to be a federal law banning it specifically.

• Massive protests broke out in Ecuador after President Lenín Moreno cut fuel subsidies last week.
• Following violence in the capital city, Moreno moved the government from Quito to a coastal city 150 miles away.
• Moreno has accused his predecessor, former President Rafael Correa, of conspiring with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to launch a coup against him.

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Moreno Cuts Fuel Subsidies

Ecuador has been engulfed in protests for nearly a week after President Lenín Moreno announced he was ending fuel subsidies that had been in place for 40 years.

Moreno claimed the subsidies cost the government nearly $1.4 billion a year, about 5% of the budget. He also said he scrapped them as part of a broader plan to cut spending under a loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund to lower debt and stimulate the economy.

Under that deal, the IMF would give Ecuador a $4.2 billion loan as long as Moreno imposed measures to cut back on government spending.

11am Quito, Ecuador: There are now contingents for kilometres of road, though they're not all tied together yet. All are marching southward. A lot of worker and political groups so far. Students & the mass of Indigenous groups will also be assembling. @teleSURenglish pic.twitter.com/vfhDWE4OjN

— Camila (@camilateleSUR) October 9, 2019

But cutting fuel subsidies means fuel prices go up, and rising fuel prices have a long history of sparking protests, like the Yellow Vest movement in France which started over a gas tax increase.

The price increase angered transportation workers, young people, and Indigenous groups in Ecuador, who have already been struggling over the last few years as Ecuador has sunk into debt and tried to fight its way out of an economic recession.

Protest Break Out

Following Moreno’s announcement on Thursday, taxi drivers, bus drivers, and members of Ecuador’s transportation union launch a strike. They also blocked roads and highways all over the country and were quickly joined by students and Indigenous groups.

Even after the transportation union called off the strike on Saturday, the protests, which are now led by indigenous groups, continued on. 

Moreno declared a 60-day state of emergency following the outbreaks on Thursday, which allowed him to suspend certain civil liberties of protestors, but protesters continued marching and barricading roads by reportedly setting fires and burning tires and military vehicles. 

The demonstrators reportedly threw petrol bombs and stones at security forces who responded by using tear gas and water cannons. Protestors have also attacked dozens of rose plantations and several oil production facilities, prompting oil field operations to be suspended all over the country.

With large parts of the country brought to a standstill, the minister of production, commerce and investment told reporters that Ecuador has lost $1.4 billion dollars over just six days of protests.

Dozens of people, including police, have been injured and one man died after being hit by a car.

#Ecuador | Authorities confirmed that 19 people have been arrested so far in as protests erupt in Quito against the economic measures announced by President Moreno. @denisseteleSUR reports from the scenes. pic.twitter.com/PRQUXhJ22v

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 3, 2019

Authorities have also arrested hundreds of people, though there are conflicting reports on how many have been arrested. Some outlets say 570, while others say the number is now closer to 700.

Over the last few days, demonstrators in the capital city Quito have reportedly stormed and vandalized multiple government buildings, all while continuing to clash with police on the streets, destroy property, and loot businesses.

Moreno Moves Government & Blames Coup Attempt

On Monday, Moreno announced that he was moving his government from Quito to Guayaquil, a coastal city 150 miles away. Many have described the move as unprecedented.

Moreno has also called for dialogue with the Indigenous groups, who have said that they are not behind the violence in the capital. 

The president, for his part, seems to believe them and has insisted that their protests have been infiltrated by bad actors backed by former-Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who is working with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to overthrow him.

Moreno has frequently clashed with Maduro, but he used to be the vice president to Correa, who served before Moreno took office and once was his mentor.

Correa has been living in exile in Belgium since being charged with kidnapping a political opponent while president. Moreno has also blamed Correa for the economic problems that got Ecuador here in the first place.

Speaking during a televised statement Monday, Moreno said the protests were an attempted coup against him. 

“What has happened these days is not a social protest against a decision by my government,” he said. “The looting, vandalism and violence show that there’s an organized action to destabilize my government.”

Correa has denied that he is behind a coup attempt. 

“They are such liars … They say I am so powerful that with an iPhone from Brussels I could lead the protests,” he told Reuters. “People couldn’t take it anymore, that’s the reality.”

But he still criticized Moreno on Twitter, writing “Moreno is finished, as happens with every traitor sooner or later” and adding that he “has no legitimacy to govern.”

Maduro, for his part, has supported the protestors. 

“I express my solidarity with the people of Ecuador,” the Washington Post quoted him saying. “No more IMF packages! No more misery!”

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who many countries including the U.S. recognize as the rightful leader of Venezuela, supported Moreno’s claim.

“While president Lenín Moreno works to maintain and strengthen the republic and institutions of Ecuador, a group financed by Maduro’s accomplices in America, taking advantage of the most vulnerable, seeks to end the country’s stability,” he wrote on Twitter. “Solidarity with Ecuador.”

Right now, Ecuador’s future remains uncertain. Moreno has said he will not resign, but others have noted that in the past, Indigenous-led protests brought down three presidents. That said, Moreno does have the backing of the military, which will prove as a key ally moving forward.

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (NPR) (The Guardian)