Assertions by President and Vice President that ISIS is Defeated Spurs Doubt and Confusion

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has been one of President Trump’s most reliable supporters of the administration’s foreign policy, was unambiguous in his criticism of the decision to pull American forces from Syria. Unassuaged by explanations and elaborations that followed the announcement, Graham traveled to Ankara where he cautioned that the withdrawal could result in “an Iraq on steroids” unless ISIS is utterly destroyed before the pullout is complete. Graham and other supporters were left flat-footed when President Trump declared that ISIS had, in fact, been defeated, believing it to be an unsupportable position. His comment was followed by a suicide bomber who targeted a restaurant in Syria that American personnel were known to frequent, killing two U.S. soldiers among others. Trump loyalists were again shaken when Vice President Pence reiterated after the attack that ISIS had been defeated. Allies in the region, meanwhile, shared the disbelief at both leaders’ declarations of the demise of ISIS and confusion over what is called “zig-zagging policy” by the president on the issue of the pullout. Senator Graham also spoke of a plan being put forth by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dunford to move Kurdish fighters targeted by Turkish President Erdogan away from the border and presumably, defuse the Turkish threat to annihilate the Erdogan nemeses.