Leaving Syria

The way it was done:  When a president makes a foreign policy decision with possible major ramifications, that president ordinarily consults with Congressional leaders, advisors in the White House, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and our allies.  Decisions like that are not made off the cuff.

Our allies:  If you were an ally of the U.S., would you continue to trust it?  One of our most steadfast allies has been the Kurds, a major factor in fighting ISIS.  The Kurds will now be left to twist in the wind.

Our opponents:  Putin has already praised Trump’s decision to pull out.  That should tell you something.

The international mix:  Any diplomatic issue involving the Middle East includes a variety of players and participants, in this case, to name a few, Turkey, Assad, ISIS, Israel, the Palestinians, the Iraqis, the Iranians, the Russians, the Kurds, the anti-Assad forces, Britain, France, and probably more that I am missing here.  This is complicated.  As Linda said to me today, “The world is playing chess, and Trump is playing checkers.”