JDCA Condemns Trump’s Capitulation in Syria

WASHINGTON — The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) today condemned President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria. JDCA Executive Director and former Senate and Obama administration national security advisor Halie Soifer said the following:

“Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. special forces from northern Syria is inconsistent with and a betrayal of U.S. national security interests, as well as those of our regional allies. Once again, President Trump is shooting from the hip, engaging in reckless foreign policy-making without a plan. With this decision, President Trump has emboldened our adversaries – such as Iran, Russia, and ISIS – and abandoned our allies in the Middle East.

“This catastrophic decision sends a clear message that the U.S. cannot be trusted or relied upon, and that U.S. policy can turn on a dime based on the whims of an unstable president. Our allies, including Israel, will note that President Trump’s foreign policy is clearly guided by his personal and political interests, as opposed to the national security interests of the United States and our regional partners. We are deeply concerned about the potential humanitarian consequences of this deeply flawed decision, especially when it comes to the Kurdish forces who have stood by the U.S. in our fight against ISIS.

Rep. Ron Klein, the Chairman of JDCA said the following, “This decision has created a dangerous and unstable situation in the Middle East, similar to Trump’s December 2018 decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria. What we said at the time remains true today –  “Trump’s withdrawal from Syria is a betrayal of our allies and a boon to our adversaries. It’s not ‘America First’ in any respect. Rather, it’s an ‘Iran and Russia First’ policy.””