President Trump on Wednesday announced what he called a great outcome in Syria, and hes right if hes referring to the interests of Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russias Vladimir Putin. In return for agreeing to consolidate their territorial and strategic gains, Mr. Trump is withdrawing American forces and lifting the sanctions against Turkey he imposed only a few days ago.
The big success, as Mr. Trump called it in a tweet, is that Mr. Erdogan has agreed to stop Turkeys invasion into Syria at about 20 miles. This will save Kurdish lives, at least for a time, though at the cost of the territory they formerly controlled with U.S. assistance.
The border and most of northern Syria will now be patrolled by Turkish and Russian forces, and the Russians will control the balance of power. Abandoned by the U.S. and with no good options, the Kurds are cutting their own deal with the Russians and Syrias Bashar Assad to survive. Mr. Trump boasted about a safe zone, but he must mean safe for Mr. Assad, Turkey, Russia and Iran.
The only American purpose served here seems to be to facilitate Mr. Trumps desire to pack up and leave. As he put it Wednesday in remarks at the White House, Let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand though the U.S. special forces werent taking many if any casualties in the border region.
Mr. Trump said an unspecified number of Americans will remain to protect the oil in northeastern Syria, and well be deciding what were going to do with [the oil] in the future. Good luck trying to get a U.S. company to develop that oil without a more robust American presence, even assuming that Russia, Iran, Syria and sundry jihadists dont first drive out the small and residual U.S. force.
By lifting the sanctions, Mr. Trump also continues his puzzling indulgence of Mr. Erdogan. Apart from releasing American pastor Andrew Brunson, who was unjustly arrested, were not sure what the Turkish President has done for Mr. Trump or American interests. Mr. Trump also refused to sanction Mr. Erdogan for buying S-400 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia despite U.S. warnings and Turkeys obligations as a NATO ally. The President also hinted on Wednesday that Mr. Erdogan might soon be welcome at the White House.
Congress can do more if it can muster bipartisan majorities, and it ought to try. As an election year approaches, Mr. Trump is indulging more of his isolationist impulses. If Members of Congress still want the U.S. to exert leadership and maintain alliances, they are going to have to speak up and form cross-party coalitions to get Mr. Trumps attention.
One place to start would be for the Senate to pass a version of the resolution that passed the House last week condemning Mr. Trumps abrupt withdrawal. Another option is directing the Administration to impose sanctions against Turkey when it deploys S-400s or hurts U.S. interests. Mr. Trump might veto, but the world would know that the Presidents desire for retreat isnt Americas.
