Connecting the Dots: Awkward Goodbyes

摘要

1.Worries over the inconstancy of US foreign policy came to the forefront Wednesday after President Donald Trump ordered a”full”and”rapid”withdrawal of US troops from Syria-apparently without consulting first with his own military chiefs(p8).The president justified the move by saying Islamic State has been defeated-an assessment virtually no one in the national security establishment shares.The unilateral move led to fears that Iran would use the vacuum left by the US departure to deepen its influence in Syria,potentially raising tensions with both Saudi Arabia and Israel.The US withdrawal was also seen as a boost for Russian President Vladimir Putin.