January 29, 2018
Obama’s ISIS policy is working for Trump
Last week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivered a speech that after a year in office finally laid out a new strategy for Syria. The part that’s getting the most attention is his unequivocal declaration that the United States would maintain an indefinite military presence in Syria, stating, “The United States will maintain a military presence in Syria focused on ensuring ISIS cannot reemerge.”
It doesn’t square with President Trump’s “America first” posture, but it’s the right call.
It also represents an acknowledgment that in Syria, Trump is using President Barack Obama’s playbook. So far, it’s working out pretty well for him.
President George W. Bush deployed hundreds of thousands of troops during the Iraq War. It was costly, took years to bear fruit and was politically unsustainable. Early in his presidency, Obama sought to disengage militarily from Iraq altogether, which backfired by contributing to the governance vacuum that facilitated the rise of the Islamic State.
Trump campaigned against both in 2016, deriding Bush as too eager for war — “Iraq was a big, fat mistake” — and casting Obama as weak, and the “founder of ISIS.”
Read the full article in The Washington Post.
More from CNAS
-
Lebanon Is Disarming Hezbollah. The U.S. and Israel Can Do More to Help.
Commentary
This article was originally published in Foreign Policy. The Lebanese government is now at a pivotal point in its vital efforts to disarm Hezbollah and reassert full authority...
By Elisa Catalano Ewers
-
‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Everywhere Except the U.S.
Video
Global markets remained resilient as investors grow accustomed to President Trump's unorthodox military operations, viewing them as temporary shocks rather than long-term risk...
By Rachel Ziemba
-
Gold Looks the Way to Play Weaker Dollar
Video
Gold rose to a record high — the 50th day it’s done so this year — on escalating geopolitical tensions and prospects for more US rate cuts. Silver also set an all-time peak. M...
By Rachel Ziemba
-
Chinese Demand for Oil Remains Key
Video
Oil advanced from its lowest level since 2021 after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned tankers off Venezuela. Rachel Ziemba, CNAS adjunct senior fellow an...
By Rachel Ziemba
