Why President Trump Wants to Quickly Withdraw Troops from Syria
Trump appears to want to avoid direct conflict with Türkiye, as well as assert his power.
US President Donald Trump announced on Twitter on December 19 that the US "has defeated the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) in Syria", apparently referring to the withdrawal of troops as promised during the election campaign. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Washington had begun to bring troops home, but did not specify whether this included all 2,000 US troops in Syria.
A US official said it would take the Pentagon about 60-100 days to bring all US forces in Syria home. Analysts have made many comments about the reasons why Washington decided to withdraw troops so suddenly and quickly, according toMilitary Times.
Military expert Kyle Kempfer said the move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Ankara, which could lead to conflict on Syrian territory. The Turkish military wants to enter Syria, while US-backed Kurdish militias want to stop it. The US has struggled for months to avoid offending either side.
"A confrontation between the US and Türkiye, a key ally in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), would cause a serious geopolitical crisis in the world's largest military alliance," Kempfer assessed.
Northern Syria has been a focal point in 2018, with a mix of rebel and insurgent forces backed by multiple countries. The US has 2,000 troops, mostly special forces, deployed to prevent the rise of IS. They are also playing a role in preventing fighting between Kurdish militias and the Turkish military.
The US withdrawal from Syria could cede control to Türkiye, easing tensions between the two NATO members. However, it would also mean that Washington would abandon the Kurds, who have played a key role in defeating IS on the ground.
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US special forces and YPG convoy in northern Syria. Photo:Reuters. |
With US support, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with the core being Kurdish militias, have recaptured many territories in eastern Syria from IS, increasing their influence in the northeastern region bordering Türkiye.
However, the move angered Turkish leaders, who view the SDF’s Kurdish militia (YPG) as a security threat. The YPG has close ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an armed group listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara and Washington.
The US does not consider the YPG a terrorist group, but the Pentagon understands Türkiye's anger. "Türkiye has legitimate security concerns. Their leadership has been a great supporter of the campaign to defeat ISIS by allowing us to use Incirlik Air Base. The issue of disagreement between our two countries is our cooperation with the SDF," US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in January, stressing that the PKK has destabilized southeastern Türkiye for decades.
The US has failed to address the root of the problem, instead resorting to "push-pull" tactics with Turkey for over a year. Every time tensions between Washington and Ankara ease, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan escalates the situation. "A complete withdrawal of forces from Syria could be a solution that pleases Türkiye," Kempfer commented.
Joe Macaron, a scholar at the Arab Center in Washington, said the abrupt withdrawal could be aimed at asserting US President Donald Trump's domestic power, as he is under pressure on key foreign policy issues involving Russia and Saudi Arabia.
President Trump has mentioned the withdrawal of troops, asserting that he does not see any strategic or financial value in maintaining the presence of US troops in Syria.
The Pentagon and the State Department later convinced the White House chief that the US needed to keep its forces in Syria. However, in April, Trump still set a six-month deadline for the US military to end the fight against IS. Earlier this month, the SDF captured the town of Hajin, the last urban area controlled by IS. Trump believed it was time to withdraw from Syria, even though IS still posed a threat.
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US special forces deployed in eastern Syria earlier this year. Photo:Military Times. |
The decision reflects Trump’s alienation from his national security team. Over the past few months, conservatives led by National Security Adviser John Bolton and the military wing led by Secretary Mattis have argued differently about keeping troops in Syria.
Bolton has advocated increasing US forces in Syria to deter Iran, but has not offered any concrete steps to take. In September, he tried to convince Trump to let Tehran play a role in Syria. However, Bolton’s idea of an “Arab NATO” has been dismissed as unfeasible. Saudi Arabia is also not keen on supporting a long-term US presence in northern Syria.
Mattis, on the other hand, had warned that Bolton’s ideas could lead to a confrontation with Iran, arguing that the US should stay to fight IS and push for a solution to the conflict. He became increasingly isolated within the Trump administration, especially after the resignation of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a key ally of his. This led to Mattis’s decision to resign on December 20, shortly after Trump announced the withdrawal of troops from Syria.
