Trump’s betrayal of Kurds is yet another impeachable offense

President Donald Trump just announced a unilateral breach of our promises of protection and support for the Kurds who fought and died to help us reduce the threat of ISIS and protect America and the world (“Who are the Kurds, and why does Trump’s decision remind them of past American betrayals?” Oct. 8).

This could be a genocide death sentence for all Kurds at the hands of Turkey or drive them into the arms of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The world is witnessing betrayal and treachery by the United States of America. Betrayal of the Kurds, betrayal of our allies, betrayal of our country and its reputation, and betrayal of democracy.

It always helps, in inexplicable situations, to ask who benefits from an outrageous un-American act.

In this case, the answer is a number of murderous dictators and enemies in Russia, Syria, Turkey and ISIS. On the losing side, the American people are ignored, the U.S. Congress and all our allies who fought beside the Kurds are simply dismissed. If this isn’t the definition of tyranny and treason, a violation of the oath of office and a cry for removal from office, it’s difficult to imagine if there’s anything that would prevent a president, from any party, from becoming a dictator who puts himself above the law.

It takes a lot to get politicians the ilk of Sens. Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and other top Republicans to stand up to the head of their party, but this did it. Incidentally, Article II Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states unequivocally that a president “shall be removed from office on Impeachment for… Treason, Bribery or other High Crimes …” We are a democracy that’s supposed to be based on the rule of law.

Roger C. Kostmayer, Baltimore