A day after President Donald Trump announced that he intends to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, he took to Twitter to push back against rising criticism from those concerned that America is abdicating its moral duty to essentially serve as the world’s police.
“Getting out of Syria was no surprise,” he tweeted Thursday morning. “I’ve been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer.”
Though Trump’s presidency started with a bang when, only months in office, he ordered the bombing of a Syrian airfield after dictator Bashar Assad allegedly used chemical weapons on his own citizens, for the most part the president has been seeking to reduce — not increase — U.S. involvement.
Just last spring he withdrew funding for aid programs in northwestern Syria. Around the same time he ordered the military to begin prepping for a potential withdrawal.
“Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA,” the president’s tweets Thursday continued.
Look:
Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I’ve been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer. Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS. We were doing there work. Time to come home & rebuild. #MAGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018
Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018
….Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy about the U.S. leaving, despite what the Fake News says, because now they will have to fight ISIS and others, who they hate, without us. I am building by far the most powerful military in the world. ISIS hits us they are doomed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018
He was right to note that ISIS is indeed the enemy of Russia, Iran and Syria. But some of Trump’s critics have noted that the U.S. is likewise the enemy of Russia and Syria.
Their specific concern is that America’s withdrawal from Syria will allow the United States’ enemies to gain a stronger foothold in the beleaguered territory.
“The withdrawal of American presence from Syria also bolsters two other adversaries to the United States, Iran and Russia,” a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers warned. “As you are aware, both Iran and Russia have used the Syrian conflict as a stage to magnify their influence in the region.”
Letter from @SenatorShaheen @marcorubio @SenTomCotton @SenAngusKing @SenJoniErnst and me to President Trump on withdrawal from Syria. pic.twitter.com/G035schXJu
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 20, 2018
According to Trump and those who support his decision, this is irrelevant. Opponents of America’s Syria policy have long argued that the U.S. needs to prioritize its own interests instead of interfering in parts of the world where it’s not really welcome or wanted.
Among the critics is Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who was one of a select few legislators who criticized the president after he launched the bombing of Syria last year.
“While we all condemn the atrocities in Syria, the United States was not attacked. The President needs congressional authorization for military action as required by the Constitution, and I call on him to come to Congress for a proper debate. Our prior interventions in this region have done nothing to make us safer, and Syria will be no different,” he argued at the time.
He, of course, is pleased by the president’s latest decision:
I am happy to see a President who can declare victory and bring our troops out of a war. It’s been a long time since that has happened. https://t.co/fEBb8080fK
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 19, 2018
“I’m proud of the President today to hear that he is declaring victory in Syria.” Senator Rand Paul. “I couldn’t agree more with the presidents decision. By definition, this is the opposite of an Obama decision. Senator Mike Lee
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018
So are quite a few social media users.
Look:
Promises Made Promises Kept. #maga https://t.co/TQauEJV129
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 20, 2018
The two war parties are coming together to try to stop Trump’s right-on decision to bring US troops out of #Syria. They WANT endless US military engagement. We, the people, DON’T! #SyriaWithdrawal #EndWar
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) December 19, 2018
It’s absolutely ABSURD seeing people actually bitch about the first withdrawal of these ILLEGAL wars we have been engaged in for two decades. They need to sit down & zip it-we have 8000 veterans committing suicide every year because of this garbage. Be happy ✌?#SyriaWithdrawal
— Daphne Lee (@DaphneHopeLee) December 20, 2018
After personally fighting in Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan still going on (17 years later). I could give a rats fuck if Syria destabilizes after a withdraw. Our own country is destabilized. At least let the troops come enjoy this shit show first hand at home #SyriaWithdrawal
— Will Warren (@will_wre) December 20, 2018
Those actually criticising #SyriaWithdrawal are so brainwashed their gone beyond the point of being saved. Ideology (or perhaps lack of…) has taken complete control of them. The most dangerous type of people.
— Dobz ?? ?? (@Dobz95) December 19, 2018
This, despite the fact that a majority of Americans have grown so tired of this endless cycle of war since 9/11. It is amazing how pro-war and out of touch the mainstream media has become. #SyriaWithdrawal
— Kevin Patrick Kelly (@TheKevinPKelly) December 20, 2018
#Trump #SyriaWithdrawal against the backdrop of condemnation from warmongers in the USA hard to understand why anyone with a heart would want to undermine the peace process in Damascus but the Neocons Love human suffering as long as it’s not on their doorstep
— Dan Ho (@southyarradan) December 20, 2018
Thank you @realDonaldTrump, and @justinamash, for finally bringing our boys home from Syria…
A country that never threatened us, where the militias we supported had terrorists among them, and where >100K civilians were killed#syriawithdrawal #Syria
— Libertarian-In-Chief (@ToddHagopian) December 20, 2018
The latter Twitter user was correct: Obama-administration-led efforts to intervene in Syria did unintentionally wind up putting U.S. weapons in the hands of terrorists.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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