U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin speak during a joint press conference after their summit on in Helsinki on July 16. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images) - Foreign Policy Trump has done it again! He has carried water for Vladimir Putin and ordered the withdrawal of U.S. 2,000 troops from Syria. These troops were there to train and help Kurds, NATO, and other forces keep pressure on ISIS and preventing their reconstitution as a threat to the region, western Europe, and the U.S. Also, their presence prevented the Russian, Syrian, Turkish and Iranian forces from exerting their influence into what would be a power vacuum. For example, Turkey has labeled Kurdish forces and terrorists and signaled its intention to wipe them out.
Trump’s unilateral decision (he ignored the advice of his military advisers who oppose this decision) to withdraw U.S. troops, mostly special forces and training personnel, has met with almost universal criticism. Members of Congress, former military leaders, the national security pundit class, and U.S. allies worldwide call this decision a catastrophe. They note that it will strengthen Iran, Syrian, and Russian influence in the region while undercutting Israel’s effort to isolate Iran. And above all this action will undermine confidence in the U.S. to follow through on its commitments.
Trump’s reason for his decision to withdraw is the defeat of ISIS and his promise to bring the troops home once ISIS was defeated. While ISIS has lost territory, its radical Islamist ideology is present in the region. Moreover, there are 20,000 to 30,000 ISIS fighters in the region who have been lying low. Once the U.S. withdraws, we will be dependent on other countries, including Russia, Syria, and Iran to keep the pressure on them.
Some observers believe Trump’s reckless decision is another example of his blustering effort to distract from his increasing legal problems, his failure to build “the wall,” and the closure of his foundation for fraudulent behavior. Others believe it was payback to Turkey’s Recep Erdogan for not releasing all the evidence implicating Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the grisly murder of the Washington Post reporter. Still others believe that Trump is kowtowing to Putin and Erdogan because it will financially benefit him. They believe that Turkey and Russia represent two of the few places where his real estate business will be viable once he leaves office.
Trump’s unilateral decision (he ignored the advice of his military advisers who oppose this decision) to withdraw U.S. troops, mostly special forces and training personnel, has met with almost universal criticism. Members of Congress, former military leaders, the national security pundit class, and U.S. allies worldwide call this decision a catastrophe. They note that it will strengthen Iran, Syrian, and Russian influence in the region while undercutting Israel’s effort to isolate Iran. And above all this action will undermine confidence in the U.S. to follow through on its commitments.
Trump’s reason for his decision to withdraw is the defeat of ISIS and his promise to bring the troops home once ISIS was defeated. While ISIS has lost territory, its radical Islamist ideology is present in the region. Moreover, there are 20,000 to 30,000 ISIS fighters in the region who have been lying low. Once the U.S. withdraws, we will be dependent on other countries, including Russia, Syria, and Iran to keep the pressure on them.
Some observers believe Trump’s reckless decision is another example of his blustering effort to distract from his increasing legal problems, his failure to build “the wall,” and the closure of his foundation for fraudulent behavior. Others believe it was payback to Turkey’s Recep Erdogan for not releasing all the evidence implicating Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the grisly murder of the Washington Post reporter. Still others believe that Trump is kowtowing to Putin and Erdogan because it will financially benefit him. They believe that Turkey and Russia represent two of the few places where his real estate business will be viable once he leaves office.
Kayhan Ozer | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images U.S President Donald Trump (R) and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) shake hands during a meeting at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington D.C., United States on May 16, 2017.
What few people seem willing to recognize is that Donald Trump may be a witting asset or agent of Vladimir Putin. Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria, his decision to remove sanctions from Russia’s aluminum industry, his undermining of the western alliance, his manufacture of a trade war with China, and his sowing of division within the U.S. all benefit Putin. Given how much he has done to benefit Putin’s Russia why is their so much reluctance to consider the possibility that Trump is a Quisling?
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