A limited U.S. military role in Syria has had an outsize impact over the past four years.
A “limited presence?” An estimated 2,000 troops is a limited presence? Gimme a break.
And how are we helping the Kurds fight the rebels when Turkey – our supposed ally – is trying to wipe out the Kurds?
Iran and Russia claim a victory: Iran has invested heavily with military and economic assistance to prop up Assad since the beginning of the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent military forces to support Syria in 2015, the year after the U.S. entered the war.
Both Iran and Russia would view it as a major success if the American military leaves and Assad continues to consolidate power. The same would be true for Hezbollah, the Lebanese group that has fought alongside Assad's forces.
Turkey launches offensive against the Kurds: While the U.S. has partnered with the YPG, the Syrian Kurdish militia, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan views them as terrorists who threaten his country. Turkey has signaled it wants to launch an offensive in northern Syria against the Kurdish group. Such a move could destabilize a mostly calm area, displacing civilians and touching off new refugee flows.
So what? Our president is doing what should have been done years ago – getting out of another place we have no business being in.
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Kurds Discuss Releasing 3,200 ISIS Prisoners After Trump Threatens Pullout From Syria @
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Syria conflict: Trump's withdrawal plan shocks allies @
Trump's Syria withdrawal plan stuns allies
Senators Urge Trump to Abandon Syria Pullout @
Senators Urge Trump to Abandon Syria Pullout
Syria’s Kurds reel from U.S. move, Assad seen planning next step @
Syria’s Kurds reel from U.S. move, Assad seen planning next step | One America News Network
France to stay in Syria after Trump orders US troops home @
France to stay in Syria after Trump orders US troops home – minister
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Putin is pleased with his protégé, Donald Trump.
In Putin's mind, Trump has achieved successes beyond his expectations. It began with Trump's acquiescence to Putin at Helsinki, forsaking his own intelligence agencies and accepting Putin's word that Russia did not interfere in our 2016 election because Putin sounded forceful.
Fired being a euphemism for forcing to retire, Trump has fired key members of his administration recently. They were advisors who contributed much to Trump's administration. Too much, and they often had differing viewpoints. For that, Trump fired them. Just in the last few months, Sessions, Haley, McGahn, Zinke, Kelly, Mattis and Ayers have all been fired.
That is the attorney general, the U.N. ambassador, the White House counsel, the Interior Secretary, Trump's chief of staff, Trump's favored replacement for chief of staff, and the Defense Secretary. Often, as in the case of Heather Nauert, Matt Whitaker, and Patrick Shanahan, they are replaced by people new at the job because Trump does not want someone who will actually voice his/her opinion.
As a consequence, the federal government is seriously weakened thanks to Trump and Putin could not be more pleased.
Trump then surrendered the field to Syrian and Russian forces along with the forces of the terrorist organization known as ISIS. This also gives a free hand to Putin's ally and America's enemy, Iran. Putin was flabbergasted when Trump withdrew all U.S. forces from Syria simply because the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, asked him to
... flabbergasted, but jumping with joy. Putin's much needed warm water naval facility at Tartus and his huge airbase are secure. Russia's proxy war with the U.S. in Syria is won.
Last, but certainly not least, Trump shuts down the entire federal government just before Christmas
. His excuse is an ineffectual wall. In the process, Trump managed to embarrass the Senate Majority Leader and the leadership of his own party in the Republican-held Congress. Combined with Trump's retreat in Syria and the loss of key members of his administration, chaos reigns supreme in Washington.
If Putin had managed to install a former KGB agent in the White House, he could not have done better than Donald Trump. There is little wonder why Putin is jumping with glee.