Center for American Progress

Unless Trump is called to account, expect more policy lurches like on Syria’s Kurds
In the News

Unless Trump is called to account, expect more policy lurches like on Syria’s Kurds

Following President Trump's rash and dangerous decision to abandon America's Kurdish partners, Michael Fuchs describes why Congress must act to hold the president accountable.

Donald Trump’s decision to abandon America’s partners in the majority Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is yet another illustration of how the president’s rash foreign policy results in disastrous consequences.

To be sure️, this is a complicated foreign policy challenge. The small US military presence in Syria is not sustainable forever. Still, US officials argued it’s necessary to fight the Islamic State, protect our Kurdish partners and carve out a safe place for civilians amid the ongoing Syrian disaster. If the SDF-liberated areas could be stabilized, it was hoped, the US presence might provide leverage to try to end the war diplomatically. Whether one supports the mission or wants to wash America’s hands of the Middle East, this is a tough call.

The above excerpt was originally published in The Guardian. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Michael Fuchs

Senior Fellow