Donald Trump Declares Victory In Syria, Orders Withdrawal Of All US Troops

Donald Trump declares victory in Syria

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump has declared victory in Syria, and ordered a complete withdrawal of all U.S. ground troops within the next 30 days.

Trump tweeted that he was won the 4-year war on ISIS in the war-torn country.

“We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,” the president said in a Twitter post on Wednesday morning. He offered no details on his plans for the military mission, nor a larger strategy, in Syria.

But Pentagon officials who had sought to talk the president out of the decision as late as Wednesday morning argued that such a move would betray Kurdish allies who have fought alongside American troops in Syria and who could find themselves under attack in a military offensive now threatened by Turkey.

We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018

I'm not a military expert, and won't pretend to be, but I do know when ending a military mission there needs to be communication and planning.

Plenty of folks, like Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, were blindsided by the sudden surprise announcement:

The decision to pull out of Syria was made despite overwhelming military advice against it.

It is a major blunder. It it isn’t reversed it will haunt this administration & America for years to come.

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 19, 2018

Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake. https://t.co/atsjHUyJlB

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 19, 2018

With all due respect, ISIS is not defeated in Syria, Iraq, and after just returning from visiting there -- certainly not Afghanistan.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 19, 2018

.@RepKinzinger on Trump's Syria cut-and-run: “History will look at that as one of the stupidest strategic moves before a negotiation. In order to have a successful diplomatic outcome, you have to have a military option and a military presence.” https://t.co/gmvzQrzofc

— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) December 19, 2018

Trump gave Putin a big Christmas present this year: Syria.

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) December 19, 2018