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.