Trump’s Withdrawal From Syria and What it Means
The geopolitical consequences of this decision have the potential to rock the world
By Meghan Kane
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS HAVE LONG BEEN A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE, and the dial has just been turned up a few notches by President Trump’s recent decision to pull American troops out of Syria. This decision has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats alike scrutinizing this bold, controversial move in foreign policy.
The Syrian Civil War began with inspiration from the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, an anti-government protest that spread across the Middle East from Tunisia. Civilian protesters clashed with the Syrian military on multiple occasions, leaving pools of blood in the streets. Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, has vowed to crush “foreign-backed terrorism”. Consequently, this conflict has snowballed into one of the bloodiest, most violent in world history.
In September 2014, President Obama began a U.S. airstrike campaign against the Islamic State in Syria, and U.S. military presence in the country has persisted ever since. Obama’s refusal to leave the country has sparked criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, and not only did Trump utilize this to gain support during his 2016 presidential campaign, he has long been a vocal critic of Obama’s reluctance.
The implications of leaving Syria are quite severe. The biggest concern is the re-emergence of IS, which would prompt brand-new U.S. intervention. Even when Obama withdrew troops from Iraq, IS began to grow their organization there. Another surge of rebel, terroristic power would plunge the Middle East further into chaos, meaning that this decision will not yield the peace that is so badly needed in the region. Furthermore, Russia, Iran, and the Assad Regime would be given more leverage in the Middle Eastern conflict. Russia supplies Assad with weapons and support, hoping their relationship will bring Russia back to the top of the globa food chain, and Iran sees Syria as a crucial Sunni presence in the Middle East. Overall, the concern over this decision is well-earned.
While there is abundant criticism, division has sprouted up at the Capitol. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), said “I think it’s a grave error, I think our adversaries around the world are going to go to our partners and allies and say, ‘You see, America’s unreliable.’” Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul, (R-KY), said that “for the first time in my lifetime we have a president with the courage to declare victory and bring the troops home. We haven’t had a president in 20 or 30 years who can figure out how to declare victory.” Supportive Republicans are making the argument that the sole purpose of the U.S. presence in Syria was to crush IS, and they had already done that. However, critics are saying that Republicans’ very reason for support is dangerous and has the potential to yield disastrous consequences.
So, what does this mean for U.S.-Middle Eastern relations? To be completely honest, not a lot of good. Saudi Arabia, a key anti-Assad nation, has already been upset with lack of U.S. intervention, so a complete pull-out would not produce a more positive, fruitful relationship between our two nations. Turkey, another key supporter of the Syrian opposition, would likely react negatively to a complete retrieval of U.S. troops. After the 1979 Iranian Revolution and our 1953 military coup, the U.S. has maintained a tense relationship with Iran. Assad is one of Iran’s closest allies and Iran also uses Syria as the main transit point for weapons shipments to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia movement, so lack of U.S. presence would allow for Iran to increase its influence over the Middle East.
All things considered, Trump’s decision to pull the plug on U.S. presence in Syria has the potential to shake the region and allow even more chaos to befall millions of innocent people. While this decision has prompted support, backlash from politicians and military officials should tell Americans that this new, ambitious move in foreign policy should be of great concern.
