In pull-out from Syria, Trump risks what was gained
President Trump’s abrupt decision to pull American troops from Syria is riskier than it looks. It ends a low-cost, high-impact mission and creates a vacuum that will be filled by one of a series of bad actors — Iran, Russia, Turkey, Islamic extremists, the Syrian regime — take your pick, they’re all dangerous for American interests in the Middle East.
Trump’s withdrawal from northeast Syria will end a campaign that was never really seen or understood by the American people. It was a small-footprint, low-visibility war carried out by U.S. Special Operations forces, in partnership with a Kurdish-led militia.
Because most Americans didn’t watch the conflict on television, they didn’t appreciate the unlikely fact that it was successful. It destroyed the Islamic State; it stabilized northeast Syria; it blocked Iranian expansion; it checked Russian hegemony; it gave the U.S. some bargaining leverage for an eventual political settlement in Syria.
But none of that evidently mattered in the end to Trump. He was elected to end wars in the Middle East, even successful ones. On this, as so many issues, he was determined to fulfill his campaign promises, consequences be damned. His Syria decision was opposed, near as I can tell, by the Pentagon, the State Department and key regional allies. Trump did it anyway.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/ignatius-in-pull-out-from-syria-trump-risks-what-was-gained/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=984f06cc5f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-984f06cc5f-228635337