Cedars, February 2019

February 2019 10 OFF CAMPUS Withdrawing Soldiers in Syria Could Have Global Consequences by Jacob Oedy P resident Donald Trump’s order to pull the troops out of Syria in December was met with mixed reactions. Despite Trump’s patriotic presentation, his return to early-American ideology could lead to Middle Eastern de- stabilization and international conflict. Almost 250 years ago, during his presidential fare- well address, George Washington offered a series of cau- tions and encouragements to the infant country. Among them was the advice to avoid entanglements and perma- nent alliances in the affairs of European countries. His counsel to “have with them as little political connection as possible” defined America’s foreign policy for more than a century. The beginning of the 20th century, however, pro- pelled the country into ideological change. Inventions increased trade and communication, while massive wars threatened to reshape the world. Since the fall of Hitler’s regime and the institution of the United Nations, the United States has operated and intervened in a host of global conflicts. Now, the 45th president wants to begin reducing the international involvement of the American military once more. On December 19, President Trump used Twitter to an- nounce the withdrawal of American troops in Syria. “We have won against ISIS,” Trump said in a short video. “We’ve beaten them, and we’ve beaten them badly. We’ve taken back the land, and it’s time for our troops to come back home.” Political science professor Dr. Glen Duerr explained that the desire to pull troops out of foreign conflicts has been an element of Trump’s ideology since before his term. “President Trump campaigned on a reduced US foot- print globally,” Duerr said. “He was a big critic of the Iraq war and the overt use of US soldiers overseas.” Trump initially announced the withdrawal as some- thing immediate and absolute, but the decision was met with bipartisan opposition that included the resignation of Secretary of Defense James Mattis. In his letter of resigna- tion, Mattis respectfully detailed the discrepancies between his philosophy of foreign relations and the president’s de- cision. “My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic compet- itors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues,” Mattis said. “We must do ev- erything possible to advance an international order that is most conductive to our security, prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances.” Mattis was not the only government official to dis- agree with President Trump on the issue. A bipartisan collection of senators appealed to the President with a written letter. Others, such as former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, engaged Trump on his preferred stage — Twitter. “I want troops home too, but leaving Syria abruptly is betrayal to Kurds who have sacrificed and shed blood for Americans, and it leaves Syrian Christians as sitting ducks,” Huckabee tweeted. “Please @realDonaldTrump re-think this! Your friends and supporters hope you re- consider.” President Trump still intends to pull American forces out of the Middle East, but Duerr believes that the negative reception has slowed the process. “The fact that Secretary Mattis resigned is a bad sign for [Trump],” Duerr said. “Mattis is still highly regarded in military and foreign policy circles. As a result of that, Pres- ident Trump said, ‘I’m going to withdraw [troops], but I’m going to take a lot longer to do so.’” In fact, Duerr does not believe the President will with- draw a significant number of soldiers during his first term. Instead, he will likely avoid the potential loss of support in Photo from Wikimedia Commons Various groups have long been protesting for U.S. troops to withdraw from Syria, including the HandsOffSyria rally, which took place in New York in April of 2017. Others feel like a withdrawal will lead to destabilization in the region.