Surprise U.S. Announcement of Troop Pull-out

SYRIA TRUMP IS
In this Wednesday, April 4, 2018 file photo, a U.S. soldier sits on an armored vehicle at a newly installed position, near the tense front line between the U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council and the Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. Even as President Donald Trump mulls a U.S. pullout, insisting that the Islamic State is “almost completely defeated,” the extremist group is showing signs of resurgence in Syria. A potential IS comeback puts both the U.S. and Russia in an awkward position, after the leaders of both countries declared in recent months that they have won or nearly completed their respective wars on terror. Hussein Malla / AP Photo
SYRIA TRUMP IS
In this Wednesday, April 4, 2018 file photo, a U.S. soldier sits on an armored vehicle at a newly installed position, near the tense front line between the U.S-backed Syrian Manbij Military Council and the Turkish-backed fighters, in Manbij, north Syria. Even as President Donald Trump mulls a U.S. pullout, insisting that the Islamic State is “almost completely defeated,” the extremist group is showing signs of resurgence in Syria. A potential IS comeback puts both the U.S. and Russia in an awkward position, after the leaders of both countries declared in recent months that they have won or nearly completed their respective wars on terror. Hussein Malla / AP Photo

Surprise U.S. Announcement of Troop Pull-out

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This morning President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that the U.S. has “defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.” His tweet came after reports that the White House unexpectedly pulled out all U.S. troops from Syria. This transition, expected to go into effect as quickly as possible, comes after Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s, threat to plan military attacks against U.S.-backed Kurdish troops in Syria. Joining us to discuss is Juan Cole, professor of history at the University of Michigan, and publisher of the Informed Comment blog. His latest book is Muhammad: Prophet of Peace Amid the Clash of Empires.