In December, President Trump made a startling announcement: He had decided to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria. Now, three months later, the unilateral withdrawal is off and the final number of troops expected to stay on the ground might be closer to 1,000 — half the total number currently stationed in Syria. Trump, who had bet he could finesse the details after he made his announcement, seems to have run headlong into reality.
The Islamic State, despite Trump’s rosy predictions of an ‘easy to defeat’ last holdout, hasn’t yet given up the fight. Turkey isn’t prepared to guarantee the U.S.-allied Kurds won’t face attack from Ankara. Regional allies aren’t willing to fill the gap left if the U.S. leaves. Leaving Syria, it turns out, is much more difficult than simply making an announcement and posting a slick video to Twitter.
