Policies on Syria Could Spell the End for Trump

The withdrawal of forces along the Syrian border

A recent publication by former US assistant secretary of state PJ Crowley gives a damning report on Trump, and could damage his 2020 re-election campaign. There has been an uncurrent of confidence within the Republican party regarding the 2020 campaign. With Bernie seemingly out of the picture, due to his recent statement about his health concerns, it seems a two horse race between Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden, neither of which feels like they will topple Trump off his perch.

His recent capitulation to Erdogan in Turkey will not lead to another impeachment inquiry to add to an ever-growing list of alleged illegality or moral misconduct for a man in his position, however this is not just another inquest into the 45th president lack regard for proper political conduct. This time it runs much deeper than that. The crisis facing Trump now is one entirely of his own doing, and one he may reflect on in years to come as the coup de grace.

In Trump’s head, his decision to withdraw US forces from the Syrian border satisfies the electoral that he strives so much to please. His mandate of bringing the troops home was one which many American’s could get behind, having seen a decade of troops coming back from the Middle East with little to show for it.

His tweet, “it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN.”, left little to the imagination. It was clear what the president wanted to achieve and it played right into the hand or Ergodan.

The purpose of the small contingent of troops on the border, alongside French and British troops, was there to prevent a resurgence from the Islamic State, or any other factions that may rise up. They also needed to look to add stability and a political infrastructure to a country that has been ravaged by war for over 8 years. He fulfilled part of his mandate by bringing back American citizens who have been fighting a distant war, but for a man to claim such business acumen he probably managed it in the worst way possible.

The withdrawal of troops has allowed Turkish and Russian forces to enter the contested areas along the Syrian border. These two nations won’t abide by the same rules that the allied troops were bound by, and this has been evident in the days which followed the decision to move out. The destabilization of the region was felt almost immediately as scores of Islamic State fighters escaped Kurdish custody in the chaos following renewed Turkish aggression.

But what does Trump stand to gain?

It seems fairly evident that Trump was aware the withdrawal would proceed in conflict between Kurdish forces and Turkey. There was even a phone call on October 6th between the two leaders to discuss terms of the withdrawal. What’s even more difficult to stomach, is the Kurdish forces stood alongside US troops during the conflict and removal of the Islamic State from large parts of Syria. How credulous must an individual be to believe that the Kurds wouldn’t suffer as a result of his actions?

The president’s decisions only strengthen his enemies, which is something his military advisors were quick to point out but were swiftly ignored. The Islamic State are no longer the focus of major forces in the region, but the Kurds who have been maintaining order and policing the terrorists. The withdrawal also fortifies Syrian President Bashar al-Assad presence in the area, and by extension Russia and Iran’s too.

For whatever reason, it appears Trump wanted to please Erdogan. It will no doubt become evident as to why this was as the weeks pass by, but in true Trump style he does what he wants and the rest of the world must pick up the pieces. His tweet in response to recent criticisms of the mayhem in his wake was, “Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russian and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out,”.

The CEO of America simply wipes his hands clean of it and moves on, and why not? His supporters back his every decision and he is empowered by an ever-growing list of totalitarian leaders as he satisfies their will at every turn. From Kim Jong Un of North Korea, to the Saudi Royals, the man is making friends with a very colourful group of individuals.

These kinds of decisions only further alienate his allies and continue to make the country less trustworthy. The increase in tariffs on Turkey seem to be a way of balancing things to satisfy the public. Will this affect the Republican electoral, and more pertinent how will this act to strengthen the Democrats in the 2020 race? The bookmakers odds are showing Trump’s latest move has had a drastic effect on his chances of re-election.

This feels like a big win for Erdogan. What does Trump really stand to gain from all this? Maybe we’re better off not knowing, but either way Trump and the American people now have blood on their hands and must answer for their decisions.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.