The President of the United States, Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of all of about 2,000 US troops for Syria after declaring victory over Islamic State (IS) in Syria, claiming that they had fulfil their mission to Syria which is to defeat IS. Trump’s decision has stunned all American allies especially Turkey and senior officials of the United States.
The about 2,000 US troops had help to liberate the North-Eastern part of Syria from the grip of the IS terrorist group, but there are still some of IS fighters in small numbers hiding in the region. Outside the fight against IS terrorist group, the US troop had also been engaging in the training Syrian of local troops on strategies to fight IS.
The training process of Syrian local troops and trying to clear the remaining pockets of IS fighter is ongoing; so the decision of President Trump for a complete and a rapid return of US troops from Syria has become a very shocking decision to many including Jim Mattis and other US senior official who have been advocating a constant US presence in Syria.
President Trump’s special envoy for the global coalition to defeat IS, Brett McGurk, has in an earlier statement few days back considered leaving Syria as a naivety, that American troops will be on ground in Syria to maintain stability stressing that IS fighters although not active at the moment has not completely disappear and they are capable of returning if the US troops leaves Syria.
In a bid to ensuring that US troops remain in Syria a little longer, the president of France, President Emmanuel Macron has always prevail on the US government to allow the US troop to remain in Syria as a defensive wall to repel insurgency whenever it occurs.
The decision of president Trump for a full and rapid withdrawal of US troops from Syria has several implications not only on Syria but also on Turkey whose troops had been fighting alongside American troops. The withdrawal will have a very negative impact of the US – Turkey ally as they would feel betrayed by the Americans. This decision does not mean good to the Turks as they would be exposed to military attacks by the insurgents as a result of the weakened ability due to the withdrawal of US troops.
