President Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and declared that America had "defeated ISIS." WSJ's Gerald F. Seib discusses the significance of the decision and its consequences. Photo: APWASHINGTON—President Trump defended his abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. military forces from Syria, saying Thursday that he campaigned on it and questioned the cost of being “policeman of the Middle East.”“Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I’ve been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. “Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS.

Source: Wall Street Journal December 20, 2018 13:07 UTC