Trump says Syria is a “mess” that America should leave alone, but that would be far more dangerous than staying.
As someone who’s spent many years advising U.S. presidents from both parties on the Middle East dating back to the Reagan administration, I have some advice for the next administration. I strongly believe it’s in America’s interest to maintain our military presence in Syria to protect against an ISIS resurgence and attacks on our Syrian Kurdish allies that could sow further chaos and suffering. Now is not the time to withdraw U.S. troops. With Assad gone, ISIS will try to re-emerge in what is sure to be chaotic circumstances. Though small, the U.S. military deployment in northeast Syria and along the border with Jordan—a crucial but vulnerable U.S. ally—has blunted ISIS every time it tried to make a comeback. Leaving now would almost certainly add to the instability in and around Syria and make it far more likely that ISIS would re-establish itself. Should it do so, the terror organization will once again threaten the United States and its friends. Better to keep a cost-effective presence there now and not have to return later under worse circumstances…
Read the full article on the U.S. News & World Report website.
