We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
The decision came after Trump made a rapprochement with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who threatened in the last week to escalate the struggle in northeastern Syria, entering ten miles inside the borders in order to confront the pro-Kurdish forces who are there under the protection of the United States. For that, they have an army of 15,000 foreign and Syrian fighters who previously fought in Idlib and moved to the Turkish side of the border.
From the beginning, Washington's alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces group, led by the pro-Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), in the fight against the Islamic State, unleashed deep discomfort on its Turkish NATO ally and considers a matter of national security because another organization, linked to these groups, waged a separatist conflict against the Turkish army in the north of the Syrian border.
But Trump's willingness to protect American soldiers from Turkey affects the plans of neo-conservatives, who maintained financing for the Kurds east of the Euphrates River thanks to the oil fields there, in order to form a Kurdish nation and balkanize the region.
Pentagon chief James Mattis tried to dissuade the president from formal withdrawal of troops on Syrian soil. The meeting held on Monday, along with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton, did not change Trump's opinion and the notification of the military withdrawal reached the allies on Tuesday.
Because of its unpredictability, the reactions of officials who followed the political movement contrary to the traditional warlike position of the United States in the Syrian war were marked by confusion.
The State Department canceled a wheel of prey with only three hours in advance that was already scheduled for that afternoon and sent a statement from the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders. He claimed that the territorial caliphate of the Islamic State was defeated by the United States.
"We have begun the return home of US troops in a transition to the next phase of this campaign," he explained in the statement, but stressed that the efforts of the Syrian coalition will not stop.
Previously, US diplomats sent to the region argued that the military operations would continue for an indefinite period because, according to them, the fight against ISIS had not ended.
On the other hand, Bolton added in September: "We will not leave while the Iranian troops are outside the Iranian borders and that includes the Iranian representatives."
Thus, with an unforeseen movement of the White House are undermined the statements of political actors that in recent months advocated a greater military presence in the area.
Among the many officials who objected to this measure are Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio. Graham, in charge of the Senate Armed Services Commission, called the action an "error similar to Obama's."
On the contrary, Russia, a military ally of the Syrian government headed by Bashar Al Assad, and therefore an opponent of the United States in the war, welcomed the decision taken by the Trump Administration.
The Russian agency TASS reviewed the response given by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "A milestone that could arise from this decision is a real perspective of a political solution," said Representative María Zajárova.
It must be remembered that the joint military actions between the Syrian national army, the Russian, Iranian, Hezbollah and other allied armed groups, eradicated the terrorists from the Syrian soil and changed the balance of the conflict in favor of the Arab nation. The battlefield, which reached its climax last year, was accompanied by international diplomatic work carried out under the coordination of Russia, reducing the Geneva agreements monitored by the United States and establishing the instance of dialogue in Astana, the which now stands as the most reliable negotiating space for a final political solution to the Syrian conflict.
On the other hand, European allies expressed their disorientation regarding the future of their actions in the zones of military dispute.
Europe maintains military troops that collaborate in the Syrian coalition. When asked if he had any guidance to act in this new scenario, an official replied: "No, do you?"
Israel, through a statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said they would be studying the timetable, its implementation and the repercussions for the country of the decision made by the United States. He also said that Trump and Pompeo assured him they will have other ways to influence the Syrian nation.
Failed the "Arab Spring" that sought to overthrow governments contrary to the energy interests of Washington in the Middle East, infiltrating mercenaries who were in charge of controlling and shattering nations within the indications of the New Middle East Expanded project, the balance of the war in Syria also leaves American influence in the region impaired in favor of the alliances that Syria established with Russia, Iran and Lebanon.
Given this, Trump does damage control of previous administrations imposing the opinion that it was the United States who defeated the Islamic State, but can not cover his insistence on leaving the battlefield, which for months posed and had been dissuaded until now for his team of senior officials.
None of the three-tier policies outlined by his administration, which included in addition to the extinction of ISIS, the withdrawal of Iran and the overthrow of President Bashar Al Assad, were achieved.
Even if he withdraws from the withdrawal action or if he does not comply with the complete withdrawal of the US military forces, he will not be able to stop the political advances of his adversaries, who are strengthened in efforts to rebuild Syria.