Trump recently announced that American troops will immediately withdraw from Syria and will decrease their presence by 50% in Afghanistan.
As a proud Army Brat (the self-descriptive term used by those of us who grew up in career Army families), I am perhaps a bit more attentive than most when American troops are deployed into harm’s way. My default reaction is always positive when overseas military personnel are brought home to their loved ones. I’ve lived the family hardships when a parent and spouse is deployed into an active war zone. I’ve seen the pain when they don’t come home.
However, our military personnel and their families understand the need to protect American interests abroad. They understand that deployments into hostile environments are a part of the job. They only ask for sane, thoughtful leadership with defined goals and solid plans to achieve those goals that neither wastes nor trivializes their sacrifices.
I wouldn’t pretend to claim more than a basic understanding of the infinite nuances of politics and religion in the Greater Middle East. I suspect I know a whole lot more than our Commander in Chief, but let’s put that aside for the moment.
Announcing major military directives by random tweet is more than irresponsible. It is simply insane.
We currently have 2000 U.S. troops in Syria. Those troops, along with our Kurdish allies who have done most of the heavy lifting, now control most of the “useful” parts of Syria (oil & gas fields, water, fertile land). Without an American presence, the Kurds will face Russian, Iranian, Turkish, and ISIS militaries for control – none of which would be in American interests. Where’s the plan for phasing out our involvement without screwing ourselves and our allies?
We currently have about 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. They mostly serve in training and support roles with minimal combat exposure but are still an integral part of the regional conflict. Again, where’s the plan for the drawdown?
The bottom line is that there are no plans. None. The President blindsided his own people.
General James Mattis, the current Secretary of Defense, is most definitely a hawk. However, he is unquestionably a patriot and a soldier’s soldier who has earned the respect of the men and women under his command. Brett McGurk, the State Department’s envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, is a career diplomat who actually is an expert in these conflicts. Both men deserved to be heard and their arguments deserved to be addressed. However, not only did Trump ignore their advice, both men were so shocked by the presidential tweets that they felt the need to resign. Our allies were similarly blindsided as was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the political leadership of both parties.
The only people voicing full-throated support for Trump’s ill-conceived actions are the Presidents of Russia, Syria, Iran, and Turkey – along with Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, and Rand Paul.
Seriously?
Bringing troops home is by no means intrinsically wrong. Ignoring the advice of military leaders and civilian experts is likewise not intrinsically wrong. The Commander in Chief has those prerogatives.
However, if Trump wants support from anyone beyond our enemies, far-right Fox pundits, and a few random isolationists, he needs to present his case with facts, defend it to the American public, and define sane plans for executing the withdrawals.
I’m not holding my breath.
On this Christmas Eve, our allies are learning that they can’t count on America, our military is confused, the stock market is tanking, some 800,000 federal employees aren’t getting paid over the holiday season, and the few sane remaining members of the Trump administration are running for the hills. Meanwhile, we’re stuck with Little Dumber Boy that governs by TV-inspired tweets focused on a damn wall.
I’m hoping this is just a bad Hallmark Christmas movie and that the happy ending is coming real soon now.