The Trump administration is working hard to come up with a comprehensive strategy for Syria after striking the forces of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month. Nobody expected President Trump, who campaigned promising to stay out of Syria, to intervene militarily in his first 100 days in office. The Trump administration needs tools to pressure Assad and his partners to engage in real negotiations on the way forward. The Trump administration also does not have the staffing or the policy process needed to incorporate Congress’s efforts into a larger diplomatic approach. Sanctions are only one part of a real Syria strategy.

Source: Washington Post April 17, 2017 00:11 UTC