Referring to the recent announcement that President Trump would allow Turkey to invade and assume control of northern Syria from the Kurdish Peshmerga, Evangelical pastor Pat Robertson said on his news program, the 700 Club: “I am absolutely appalled that the United States is going to betray those democratic forces” adding that “Erdogan is a thug that has taken control of his country as a dictator.”  Robertson then decried how president Trump allowed Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi to be “cut in pieces”. Robertson then said that Trump is “in danger of losing the mandate of heaven if he permits this to happen.” Trump has in fact permitted it to happen.

In a follow-up episode, Robertson interviewed his Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell who said that the Kurds found Robertson’s message to be “encouraging”.

Mitchell warned that if the move brings Assad back to northern Syria, it could “open the doors” for the Iranians and “get them closer to Israel.”  Mitchell added that Trump’s measure could compel the Kurds to turn towards Assad and away from Erdogan as “they see Assad as the lesser of the evils.”

Mitchell added that it would “strengthen enemies of the United States and Israel and make it much more dangerous for Israel in the Middle East.

After asking if the Turks see the invasion as a Jihad against non-believers, Mitchell pulled out a quote from a pro-Erdogan newspaper (Yeni Akit) which stated: “Go and tell to the unbelievers that army of Mohammed is back”. Mitchell then said that it puts president Trump in the position of backing a Jihad. Mitchell then reminded Robertson of Erdogan’s invasion of Afrin whereby Turkey invaded the city and ethnically cleansed the area’s Kurdish and Christian population and how the current situation is similar. Mitchell reaffirmed that this move puts Trump in a position of “enabling a Jihad”.

His quote regarding Trump can be heard at the 2:03 mark in the video below.