Donald Trump is a man who has the propensity to shock both his advisors and opponents. Just a few months back he had launched a missile attack against Syria on the alleged use of WMD by the Bashar regime. The president true to his style has now tweeted that US troops would be withdrawn from Syria. Yahoo news has reported that the president has claimed victory over the ISIS and ordered the withdrawal of US troops.
The Kurds
The US troops which number about 2000 were sent in to fight the ISIS as well as help the Kurdish allies of America. This was a sore point with President Erdogan of Turkey who claimed the Kurds were having a seamless organisation and along with Kurds inside Turkey were fighting a war against the Turkish government.
This withdrawal of US troops will certainly please the Turkish president as the Kurds will be left on their own to face up to the Turks. President Erdogan has vowed to destroy the Kurdish strongholds in Syria. In a reality check, it is known that U.S. forces have been stationed in Syria’s north-central and northeast areas. These are in areas under control of American Kurdish partner forces. There is more than a grain of truth that the withdrawal may have something to do with an attempt to placate Erdogan.
Defeat of ISIS
The President had claimed that the US troops were sent to fight the ISIS in Syria at a time when large swathes of territory were under their control and they at will had bombed and killed 325 people in a bomb blast at a Sufi shrine.
He has now claimed victory as the ISIS is defeated and barely controls 1 percent of Syrian territory at present. The Washington Post has reported that many in America including his own party members are not happy with this withdrawal and have asked for greater clarification. Many fear that the Kurds will now be left to fight their own battles and this will embolden Turkey.
Withdrawal
The withdrawal of US from Syria may be completed by the 15th of next month. There is no doubt that the abruptness of the decision has surprised most powers in the Middle East as well as political stalwarts at home.
The Americans have suffered some casualties in Syria, but they are far less than at other places like the killings in Niger.
Never the less this decision of Trump will uphold his promise to bring US serviceman back home from Syria after the ISIS is defeated. In a way, he is justified as the US forces were not doing much except covering the Kurds.
Putin has already withdrawn a substantial number of Russian forces from Syria, and this is like a reciprocal move. It will leave Assad stronger and doubtless, he will consolidate his position.
