Yesterday, President Trump put his own stamp on Syria policy, and it was not encouraging. As part of the announcement, Trump claimed victory, saying that the extremist Islamic State had been defeated. But many experts believe that an American withdrawal may now allow the Islamic State to regain some of the central Syrian regions it once controlled. Only nine days ago, Brett McGurk, who helps lead Syria policy under Trump, suggested a pullout would be “reckless.” In September, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis similarly suggested that “blindly” deciding to leave would be a mistake. For all of their differences, both Trump and Obama have shown a welcome reluctance to risk American lives for an uncertain — or nonexistent — benefit.

Source: New York Times December 20, 2018 13:07 UTC