After announcing that he would pull troops from Syria, President Trump backed down and made clear that there was no timeline for the departure of U.S. forces. But disjointed rhetoric has led to disjointed policy on Syria, with the military’s orders at odds with the rest of Trump’s government. And the missing ingredient necessary for sorting it all out is leadership from Trump, the commander in chief.
As the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing senior officials, the military is operating on Trump’s initial ask for a quick troop withdrawal. To do that, the military is planning on a complete departure from Syria by April, with most of the 2,000-strong force gone by mid-March.
“The bottom line is: Decisions have to be made,” one official told the Journal. “At some point we make political progress, or they’re going to have to tell the military to slow down, or we’re going to proceed without a political process.”
But even within the military, there seems to be uncertainty. Indeed, Gen. Joseph Votel, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, said this week, “I am not under pressure to be out by a specific date and I have not had any specific demands put upon me.”
Adding to the confusion, the State Department maintains that there is no timeline for withdrawals from Syria. When asked by the Wall Street Journal about the military’s reported plan to be out by April, the State Department responded that there is “no set timetable for withdrawal of military forces.”
On top of that, Trump’s top officials have offered a much different message than the president’s desire to quickly welcome soldiers home from Syria. Both national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have worked to make clear that the U.S. won’t be leaving the Middle East any time soon.
That’s quite the tug of war over just what the U.S. should do about the deadly mess in Syria. To bring some degree of coherence to U.S. policy, Trump, as president, must demonstrate real leadership. That’s his job. And he should start by reeling in that initial directive to the Pentagon and coordinating his administration’s message.
After all, the consequences of failing to have a coordinated policy are far worse than contradictory tweets highlighted by the press:
The Failing New York Times has knowingly written a very inaccurate story on my intentions on Syria. No different from my original statements, we will be leaving at a proper pace while at the same time continuing to fight ISIS and doing all else that is prudent and necessary!…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2019
Instead, it means that the U.S. lacks a clear message as it tries to negotiate with Turkey over the fate of the Kurds. It means that Washington is increasingly seen as an unstable ally and that our enemies are emboldened by what appears to be a nation at odds with itself.
