For 26-year-old Halan Ibrahim Shekka, war has been an ever-present part of his entire life. So much so, that when he hears a gunshot he can name the gun.
"I was born during war, I have been raised during war, my life has been in war," Halan told Dateline from Mosul.
Halan is a Kurdish journalist from Iraq. Fluent in English, he often works as a fixer, helping Western reporters tell stories from the Middle East. Most stories involve war and violence.
When Trump tweeted that he would withdraw US troops supporting Kurdish forces on the border of northeast Syria and Turkey, Halan was shocked. He has not only worked on the frontline of the Kurdish/US battle against IS, he has Kurdish friends in northwest Syria.
"We feel abandoned," he said.
Kurds are spread over four countries in the Middle East: Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. Although they do not have a sovereign state, Kurds have a self-governing autonomous region called Rojava in northwest Syria.
The US joined forces with Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to defeat IS in this region.
"It was Kurdish forces who stopped IS from advancing. The first forces were Kurdish forces, who helped defeat IS not only in Syria Kurdistan but in Iraq Kurdistan, too," said Halan.
"It would be fair for the whole world to back up Kurds and not leave us behind, we are their friend."
Turkey considers Syrian Kurdish YPG militia a terrorist organisation and an extension of the Kurdish-led rebel group. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintains that Kurdish forces are the threat. On Tuesday, Turkey announced it was ready for an offensive into northern Syria. The Kurdish-led forces say it will defend its territory.
Halan has been working as a journalist and fixer in the Middle East. Source: Supplied
On Twitter, Donald Trump warned Turkey against anything that "great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits" and defended decision to withdraw US troops.
Despite Trump's warnings, Halan fears the US withdrawal will result in another war zone.
"I have seen children dying, infants dying, their mothers collapse because of lack of water which is, of course, the consequence of war," he said.
"I hope there will be no war and I hope no-one dies."
Kurds in Australia call for support
More than 13,000 kilometers from Halan in Mosul, Mira Abraham is in Sydney losing sleep.
She is a Kurdish woman from Rojava in northeast Syria who has been in Australia for 14 years. Trump's decisions directly affect her family who are back home.
"All my family, we can't sleep. It will affect every single Kurdish person in Rojava and it will be very difficult," she told Dateline.
"Already [my family] are struggling, they are struggling with war."
"We can't even sleep. We know it is going to affect every single Kurdish person."
Mira fears Trump's withdrawal of troops in her home region will leave her uncles, aunts and cousins vulnerable to violence -- at worse, genocide.
Mira Abraham fears for her family back in northeast Syria. Source: Supplied
"We are really stressed because we don't know what will happen."
Working with the Australia Kurdish Association, Mira has been organising protests in Sydney. She says Trump's decision is the latest blow in decades of international injustice against her people.
The group is calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to support Kurdish people in Syria and a no-fly zone in the region to prevent Turkey's advances.
"If the Australia community could stand with us, all Kurdish people would appreciate this."
