LOS ANGELES TIMES
5 reasons why Trump is right about getting America out of Syria
by Aaron David Miller and Richard Sokolsky
January 3, 2019

Much of America’s foreign policy establishment, on both the right and the left, has been in an uproar over President Trump’s decision to withdraw 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria. If Trump’s critics are to be believed, it amounts to one of the worst foreign policy blunders in American history, a catastrophe for the nation’s interests and influence in the Middle East. Although the president’s failure to consult and coordinate with Congress and allies in making the decision was a head-spinning case of diplomatic and political malpractice, on balance, critics’ fears about the withdrawal are overblown. Here are five reasons why…READ MORE

MOSAIC Michael Doran: The Strategy Washington Is Pursuing in the Middle East Is the Only Strategy Worth Pursuing America needs to back up its allies (Israel, Saudi Arabia, and potentially Turkey), and isolate its adversaries (Iran, Russia,  China,  Islamic State). Everything else is secondary.