U. S. President Donald Trump overrode his top national security aides, blindsided U. S. ground commanders, and stunned lawmakers and allies with his order for U. S. troops to leave Syria, a decision that upends American policy in the Middle East.
By Steve Holland and Jonathan Landay
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U. S. President Donald Trump overrode his top national security aides, blindsided U. S. ground commanders, and stunned lawmakers and allies with his order for U. S. troops to leave Syria, a decision that upends American policy in the Middle East.
The result, said current and former officials and people briefed on the decision, will empower Russia and Iran and leave unfinished the goal of erasing the risk that Islamic State, or ISIS, which has lost all but a sliver territory, could rebuild.
Trump was moving toward his dramatic decision in recent weeks even as top aides tried to talk him out of it, determined to fulfill a campaign promise of limiting U. S. involvement militarily abroad, two senior officials said.
The move, which carries echoes of Trump’s repudiation of the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate change accord, is in keeping with his America First philosophy and the pledge he made to end U. S. military involvement.
A former senior Trump administration official said the president’s decision basically was made two years ago, and that Trump finally stared down what he considered unpersuasive advice to stay in.
“The president won. His inclination was always not to be there,” said the former official who is close to the White House, saying a variety of senior advisers had all argued against pulling out.
In meetings with top advisers, Trump would ask: “What are we doing there? I know we’re there to fight ISIS, but we did it.
