This month, Trump pulled U.S. troops out of northern Syria, clearing the way for a Turkish invasion. Previously, in concert with the Syrian Democratic Forces(SDF), the U.S. troops had cleared a large swath of land in northern Syria of ISIS, making it a safe zone guarded by U.S. troops. However, removing those troops puts the entire region in limbo. After losing this safe zone, many of the U.S.-allied Syrians still in the country are debating whether to stay and face the tenuous future of Syria or escape while they can. Throughout the eight years of the Syrian civil war, allies of the U.S. have seen a recurrent pattern: "America largely looked on as its allies were decimated." This holds true for the nonviolent allies in Syria as well. Aid workers, medical teams, and journalists have all been regularly targeted by ISIS, without any significant response from the U.S.
Questions:
1. Did Trump make the right choice in pulling out U.S. troops from Syria?
2. Should the U.S. respond to the Turkish invasion? If so, what action should be taken?
The good samaritan laws in the US state that once you begin to help someone, it is unlawful to stop if they are still in peril. The United States knowingly left hundreds of thousands of innocent people unprotected, and at the mercy of opposition that may very well harm them. On some level, it is true that the United States is using a large amount of various resources in other countries, but there is more to greatness that protecting oneself. The US sees itself as a global leader and a defender of personal rights and Democracy, and to abandon people like this goes against everything the country stands for. Foreign policy and involvement outside of US conflicts is a hot topic with many different controversies, but I think it is simply unethical to abandon innocent people.
I do not think Trump made the right choice in pulling out of Syria as he did, destabilizing the region and leaving a power vacuum. While I do not disagree with vacating the region, I do believe he could have done so in a far more advantageous way for the United States (that would not hand Russia a political victory). The US is not obligated to respond to the Turkish invasion by means of repelling it if money/manpower could be better spent elsewhere. If Syria is not a priority, there is no reason to double back and return.
I agree with Ryan in that the pull-out was too hasty, and both Turkey and Syria don't have the energy nor the resources to maintain and guard all the ISIS prisons in Syria. And even though the prisoners are mainly not fighters, just people who were deemed related to ISIS, it's still concerning because there could be dangerous people detained, and it only takes a small number to cause some real damage. If ISIS rallies again, things could get messy, especially since the US is not the most stable domestically right now with the impeachment and all so responding to other countries' crises may be hard.
In my personal opinion I do not feel that President Trump made a prudent decision in pulling U.S. troops out of Syria. Since the U.S. has been supporting the Kurdish rebels against the terrorist groups and the opposing Syrian government. In the addition the U.S. had been there to oversee stabilization of the region. Therefore, a pullout of troops in this current climate would inevitably cause issues. The U.S. needs to further engage in talks with the Turkish government to mediate the situation that has/had been unfolding. Peace talks are crucial to the situation over there. In addition it is interesting; however, how the Turks, the Russians, and Kurdish fighters cooperated in allowing U.S. forces to take out Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, just as a side note...
I believed that Trump has completely turned his back on Syria, even as we came together to fight the common enemy of ISIS. Without US troops, the ISIS prison will not be able to be guarded as closely and they more likely to be attacked with US troops gone. The US has completely pulled out of a country that has been helping us fight ISIS, leaving them defenseless. The US is not obligated to respond to the Turkish invasion, but I believe that they should extend some sort of assistance. I believe the US abandonment in Syria was the wrong thing to do.
Trump absolutely made the right decision to pull out troops from Syria. Syria is an absolute disaster and there is no reason for us to be there. We have been in the Middle East 24/7 since 9/11 and nothing has changed. We defeated Al-Qaeda, and ISIS rose, we just killed the leader of ISIS but it doesn't matter. Some other random terrorist will rise and takeover. The U.S. has not ended anything they have just stalled out. Let the Turks take over and they can figure it out.
Seeing as U.S. troops had already provided the Syrians with a safe zone and was held responsible for guarding, I disagree with Trump’s decision to withdraw these troops. By removing these troops, the U.S. is essentially putting all the lives of those who took refuge in this safe zones at danger and leaving them vulnerable to these terrorists which I believe to be inhumane and inconsiderate. If the U.S. chose to involve itself in this issue -- by clearing out a safe zone in Syria -- it only makes sense to complete the job and not leave midway through the situation. Due to the fact that the U.S has already intervened itself into this situation, I do believe that the U.S. should respond to this Turkish invasion. The least that the U.S. can do is provide sanctuary to those who pose no threat.
No, I don't think Trumps decision to pull US troops out of Syria was a good idea at all. By doing so, he put almost thousands of Kurds lives in danger as the path was essentially cleared for the turks - although of a lesser magnitude, what the turks are currently doing to the Kurdish people is quite similar to how the turks treated the Armenian during the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Furthermore, I believe that by the United States getting involved in this issue, the situation could potentially worsen - especially between the turkish people and US as a couple days ago, a resolution was passed in the House of Representatives, formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
I don't think that Trump made the right choice in pulling US troops from Syria because it has put Syrians in great danger. Since the US troops provided a safe zone for Syrians, it seems unrealistic to put those people in harm's way by abandoning them. Although on the other hand, troops fighting in Syria shouldn't be having to face these problems. In order for things to work out, I think that the US should at least provide a safe zone for those Syrians who want to stay clear from the war. In response to the second question, I do think that troops should be sent back to create a temporary safe zone far away from threats of the Kurds. A relationship should also be established for Turkey and Syria to find a better result for safe zones for possible Syrian refugees. Turkey has taken a lot of Syrian refugees who are fleeing from the Civil War, and I think that that relationship should still be maintained.
I don’t think pulling US troops out of Syria was the right move. Considering the gravity of the situation in Syria, pulling out will only intice ISIS members to push harder. By taking this action, the US has basically opened a gateway for ISIS to invade. If the US-allied Syrians are already fearful for their lives and afraid of staying, leaving Syrian soil on the US’s part will only provoke the native Syrians to leave. If this happens, ISIS will be able to infiltrate and attack, growing their attention and power. Also, the US should not respond to the Turkish invasion. Again, we don’t want to give these movements attention as it could only cause more tension. While ignoring the problem isn’t good either, engaging in warfare will only create more problems, not solve anything.
I definitely do not believe that Trump has made the right decision. He has effectively shut off the aid valve Syrians had access to from the United States. Because their country is in extreme peril, it was wrong for President Trump to pull out of the country. ISIS is a serious pertaining threat that the United States should help clear out of the country due to the many civilians lives that face danger. Continuing, because of the US troops being pulled out, the Turkish invaders had a clear path to attack furthermore adding to the tension within Syria. Trump has developed allies with countries and has given his word to protect them to his best capability with the use of our armed forces, however completely going back on his word demonstrates the unreliableness of the executive branch.
I think that Trump's decision to pull US troops out of Syria was a huge mistake. Many Syrians depend on American troops to maintain the peace in that area of northern Syria, and without aid from the US, many innocent lives will be lost. What was once a safe zone is now an area of vulnerability and danger. Although an optimal solution would involve the eventual removal of US troops from Syria, the method Trump utilized was too quick and void of judgement or concern for our allies left behind. The American government signed up to protect parts of Syria the moment we sent troops over there, and it is extremely unjust to suddenly withdraw them without providing Syrians with the tools to protect themselves. By implicating themselves in this situation, the US should feel obligated to respond to the Turkish invasion, perhaps not by going on the offensive but at least by protecting the Kurds and those who seek asylum.
I thing that trumps decision to pull out U.S. troops was a mistake because many Syrians depend on the U.S. for protection of Turkey. A long with the protection of the world from ISIS which is still active, the U.S provides a barrier that needs to be kept for the protection of all people. We should feel obligated to protect the Kurd's because we allied with them for several years. Trump is just blatantly abandoning allies.
I agree with the previous comments stating that Trump's decision to pull out troops was not the best decision, as it seems like he didn't thoroughly consider the negative effects this would have on Syria. The Syrians being left with a choice between deciding to flee their country or stake their chances fighting against a Turkish invasion is no position a person should have to be in, let alone without any additional support. Since the U.S. created a safe zone in Syria, providing that extra support that they needed, to back out at a time when the country is unstable is unfair, especially to those who rely on them. As a result, I think the U.S. should reply to a Turkish Invasion because they made the decision to help and get involved with Syria - backing out at a crucial time like this would be unjust.
Historically, the US has been relatively wary of intervening in Syria, but the fact that troops were stationed there lent some sense of security to the region. Additionally, US troops worked extensively with local fighters to combat ISIS. However, this move by Trump shook the delicate balance. Ultimately, although this was a big mistake, Trump should send back troops to defend from the Turkish invasion, as it is his responsibility
Like others, I believe that the pullout of troops was a mistake. The US has had quite a long commitment to the Syrian cause. Trump's presidency brought around some issues for the Syrians and the US needs to help out once again to push back the Turkish Invasion. Having started helping, leaving behind more issues is something that should not be done and Trump should send troops back to help solve the issues he caused.
I think that it is wrong to remove all US troops from Syria because Trump's actions basically means that US had abandoned its long time allies. The removal of American aids left Syria in even more dangerous situation. Trump should at least help in some way even if he doesn't want so many US lives lost in Syria. He could send supplies and financial aid or send people to train local troops instead of complete removal of all US help.
The good samaritan laws in the US state that once you begin to help someone, it is unlawful to stop if they are still in peril. The United States knowingly left hundreds of thousands of innocent people unprotected, and at the mercy of opposition that may very well harm them. On some level, it is true that the United States is using a large amount of various resources in other countries, but there is more to greatness that protecting oneself. The US sees itself as a global leader and a defender of personal rights and Democracy, and to abandon people like this goes against everything the country stands for. Foreign policy and involvement outside of US conflicts is a hot topic with many different controversies, but I think it is simply unethical to abandon innocent people.
ReplyDeleteI do not think Trump made the right choice in pulling out of Syria as he did, destabilizing the region and leaving a power vacuum. While I do not disagree with vacating the region, I do believe he could have done so in a far more advantageous way for the United States (that would not hand Russia a political victory). The US is not obligated to respond to the Turkish invasion by means of repelling it if money/manpower could be better spent elsewhere. If Syria is not a priority, there is no reason to double back and return.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ryan in that the pull-out was too hasty, and both Turkey and Syria don't have the energy nor the resources to maintain and guard all the ISIS prisons in Syria. And even though the prisoners are mainly not fighters, just people who were deemed related to ISIS, it's still concerning because there could be dangerous people detained, and it only takes a small number to cause some real damage. If ISIS rallies again, things could get messy, especially since the US is not the most stable domestically right now with the impeachment and all so responding to other countries' crises may be hard.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion I do not feel that President Trump made a prudent decision in pulling U.S. troops out of Syria. Since the U.S. has been supporting the Kurdish rebels against the terrorist groups and the opposing Syrian government. In the addition the U.S. had been there to oversee stabilization of the region. Therefore, a pullout of troops in this current climate would inevitably cause issues. The U.S. needs to further engage in talks with the Turkish government to mediate the situation that has/had been unfolding. Peace talks are crucial to the situation over there. In addition it is interesting; however, how the Turks, the Russians, and Kurdish fighters cooperated in allowing U.S. forces to take out Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, just as a side note...
ReplyDeleteI believed that Trump has completely turned his back on Syria, even as we came together to fight the common enemy of ISIS. Without US troops, the ISIS prison will not be able to be guarded as closely and they more likely to be attacked with US troops gone. The US has completely pulled out of a country that has been helping us fight ISIS, leaving them defenseless. The US is not obligated to respond to the Turkish invasion, but I believe that they should extend some sort of assistance. I believe the US abandonment in Syria was the wrong thing to do.
ReplyDeleteTrump absolutely made the right decision to pull out troops from Syria. Syria is an absolute disaster and there is no reason for us to be there. We have been in the Middle East 24/7 since 9/11 and nothing has changed. We defeated Al-Qaeda, and ISIS rose, we just killed the leader of ISIS but it doesn't matter. Some other random terrorist will rise and takeover. The U.S. has not ended anything they have just stalled out. Let the Turks take over and they can figure it out.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as U.S. troops had already provided the Syrians with a safe zone and was held responsible for guarding, I disagree with Trump’s decision to withdraw these troops. By removing these troops, the U.S. is essentially putting all the lives of those who took refuge in this safe zones at danger and leaving them vulnerable to these terrorists which I believe to be inhumane and inconsiderate. If the U.S. chose to involve itself in this issue -- by clearing out a safe zone in Syria -- it only makes sense to complete the job and not leave midway through the situation. Due to the fact that the U.S has already intervened itself into this situation, I do believe that the U.S. should respond to this Turkish invasion. The least that the U.S. can do is provide sanctuary to those who pose no threat.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think Trumps decision to pull US troops out of Syria was a good idea at all. By doing so, he put almost thousands of Kurds lives in danger as the path was essentially cleared for the turks - although of a lesser magnitude, what the turks are currently doing to the Kurdish people is quite similar to how the turks treated the Armenian during the Armenian Genocide of 1915. Furthermore, I believe that by the United States getting involved in this issue, the situation could potentially worsen - especially between the turkish people and US as a couple days ago, a resolution was passed in the House of Representatives, formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Trump made the right choice in pulling US troops from Syria because it has put Syrians in great danger. Since the US troops provided a safe zone for Syrians, it seems unrealistic to put those people in harm's way by abandoning them. Although on the other hand, troops fighting in Syria shouldn't be having to face these problems. In order for things to work out, I think that the US should at least provide a safe zone for those Syrians who want to stay clear from the war. In response to the second question, I do think that troops should be sent back to create a temporary safe zone far away from threats of the Kurds. A relationship should also be established for Turkey and Syria to find a better result for safe zones for possible Syrian refugees. Turkey has taken a lot of Syrian refugees who are fleeing from the Civil War, and I think that that relationship should still be maintained.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think pulling US troops out of Syria was the right move. Considering the gravity of the situation in Syria, pulling out will only intice ISIS members to push harder. By taking this action, the US has basically opened a gateway for ISIS to invade. If the US-allied Syrians are already fearful for their lives and afraid of staying, leaving Syrian soil on the US’s part will only provoke the native Syrians to leave. If this happens, ISIS will be able to infiltrate and attack, growing their attention and power. Also, the US should not respond to the Turkish invasion. Again, we don’t want to give these movements attention as it could only cause more tension. While ignoring the problem isn’t good either, engaging in warfare will only create more problems, not solve anything.
ReplyDeleteI definitely do not believe that Trump has made the right decision. He has effectively shut off the aid valve Syrians had access to from the United States. Because their country is in extreme peril, it was wrong for President Trump to pull out of the country. ISIS is a serious pertaining threat that the United States should help clear out of the country due to the many civilians lives that face danger. Continuing, because of the US troops being pulled out, the Turkish invaders had a clear path to attack furthermore adding to the tension within Syria. Trump has developed allies with countries and has given his word to protect them to his best capability with the use of our armed forces, however completely going back on his word demonstrates the unreliableness of the executive branch.
ReplyDeleteI think that Trump's decision to pull US troops out of Syria was a huge mistake. Many Syrians depend on American troops to maintain the peace in that area of northern Syria, and without aid from the US, many innocent lives will be lost. What was once a safe zone is now an area of vulnerability and danger. Although an optimal solution would involve the eventual removal of US troops from Syria, the method Trump utilized was too quick and void of judgement or concern for our allies left behind. The American government signed up to protect parts of Syria the moment we sent troops over there, and it is extremely unjust to suddenly withdraw them without providing Syrians with the tools to protect themselves. By implicating themselves in this situation, the US should feel obligated to respond to the Turkish invasion, perhaps not by going on the offensive but at least by protecting the Kurds and those who seek asylum.
ReplyDeleteI thing that trumps decision to pull out U.S. troops was a mistake because many Syrians depend on the U.S. for protection of Turkey. A long with the protection of the world from ISIS which is still active, the U.S provides a barrier that needs to be kept for the protection of all people. We should feel obligated to protect the Kurd's because we allied with them for several years. Trump is just blatantly abandoning allies.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous comments stating that Trump's decision to pull out troops was not the best decision, as it seems like he didn't thoroughly consider the negative effects this would have on Syria. The Syrians being left with a choice between deciding to flee their country or stake their chances fighting against a Turkish invasion is no position a person should have to be in, let alone without any additional support. Since the U.S. created a safe zone in Syria, providing that extra support that they needed, to back out at a time when the country is unstable is unfair, especially to those who rely on them. As a result, I think the U.S. should reply to a Turkish Invasion because they made the decision to help and get involved with Syria - backing out at a crucial time like this would be unjust.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, the US has been relatively wary of intervening in Syria, but the fact that troops were stationed there lent some sense of security to the region. Additionally, US troops worked extensively with local fighters to combat ISIS. However, this move by Trump shook the delicate balance. Ultimately, although this was a big mistake, Trump should send back troops to defend from the Turkish invasion, as it is his responsibility
ReplyDeleteLike others, I believe that the pullout of troops was a mistake. The US has had quite a long commitment to the Syrian cause. Trump's presidency brought around some issues for the Syrians and the US needs to help out once again to push back the Turkish Invasion. Having started helping, leaving behind more issues is something that should not be done and Trump should send troops back to help solve the issues he caused.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is wrong to remove all US troops from Syria because Trump's actions basically means that US had abandoned its long time allies. The removal of American aids left Syria in even more dangerous situation. Trump should at least help in some way even if he doesn't want so many US lives lost in Syria. He could send supplies and financial aid or send people to train local troops instead of complete removal of all US help.
ReplyDelete