Trump’s Syria bombshell

As usual American President Donald Trump changed the global scene with one unexpected decision.

Trump decided to withdraw all American troops from East of the Euphrates in Syria – the troops which along with their local ally that consists of a gathering of Kurds and Arab tribes formed a barrier between Iranian militias and geographic communication with the rest of their gangs in the Mediterranean.

America’s presence in the Syrian East, or the Northeast to be accurate, raised the slogan of fighting and eliminating ISIS as well as combating Iranian poisonous activity.

Trump said his decision is not surprising as he is simply fulfilling a promise he made and he had previously decided to withdraw US troops from Syria but he waited based on the generals’ advice. He’s honest about this and we all remember the story.

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However, what’s confusing is that the scene has not changed so why the “haste” in withdrawing from Syria? Is there a clear or new excuse? ISIS is still present and Iran’s incendiary activities, both the apparent and the clandestine ones, are increasing. So what changed?

Let’s listen to Trump’s explanation and which is actually an interesting explanation. Trump said on Twitter: “Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I’ve been campaigning on it for years,” adding: “Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS.”

What can be understood from this is let the Russians, Iranians and Bashar’s bunch wallow in the mud with ISIS as ISIS is not only the Americans’ enemy.

Pentagon remark

Away from these Trump’s hot-headed remarks, the US Defense Department (the Pentagon) statement was more realistic as it tried to justify the withdrawal decision. The statement noted: “The campaign against ISIS is not over.”

Meanwhile, there is a man observing the scene of America’s withdrawal with the eyes of a hawk. It’s Vladimir Putin who after praising Trump’s “wisdom” said: “As far as the withdrawal of US troops is concerned, I really don't understand what it's about, because the US has been present for some 17 years in Afghanistan," adding that the Americans are “still talking about withdrawing them, but they haven't done it yet."

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Does the decision “betray” the local allies that consist of the Syrian Democratic Forces? This is what the forces’ official statement stipulates but Kamal Akef, an official spokesperson, said there was a new arrangement to establish a new security base!

Of course Israel frankly announced that the threat in Syria is not limited to ISIS as there is the Iranian global threat as Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett and member of the state security cabinet said.

It’s a strange decision and the American official public justification that the “mission has been accomplished” cannot be accepted unless there are other secret justifications with the Turks or Russians or to implicate them, as Trump said. Who knows?

This article is also available in Arabic.
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Saudi journalist Mashari Althaydi presents Al Arabiya News Channel’s “views on the news” daily show “Maraya.” He has previously held the position of a managing senior editor for Saudi Arabia & Gulf region at pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Althaydi has published several papers on political Islam and social history of Saudi Arabia. He appears as a guest on several radio and television programs to discuss the ideologies of extremist groups and terrorists. He tweets under @MAlthaydy.