Syria’s Problem
Global Citizen
Syria is home to one of the world’s most violent and cruel civil wars. Many citizens have been caught in the crossfire and fighters on both sides have lost their lives in what seems to be an endless mess of many countries getting involved for their own agendas. The United States is no stranger to this war and has opposed other major players such as Russia and Iran. Basically, the United States is supporting the rebels pushing for independence from the Syrian president while Russia and Iran are supporting President Assad and his regime. There are many horror stories from both sides. Human rights violations are also some of the issues the UN has been constantly advocating to address throughout the war. All in all, it's a major mess.
So on Oct. 7, 2019 when President Trump decided that he was going to make the executive decision to withdraw American troops from Syria, it caused a stir not only around the world but here at home. Many people in Congress and the House of Representatives believe that the president acted irrationally and impulsively without thinking of the possible repercussions. Most are saying that the president is betraying our allies, the Kurds (a minority ethnic group threatened by the war in Syria), as they have fought by the Americans for years against terrorists in the region. Now there is fear that with the US pulling out, the forces allied with the Syrian government, particularly the Islamic State, will be able to regroup and gain control and power.
Democrats and Republicans alike have condemned the president. Representative Joe Kennedy III (D) called the decision “not just morally bankrupt but a deep threat to national security.” On the other side of the aisle, Adam Kinzinger (R) says that “...terrorism is real. And the decision to end the war is not really ours to make when you have a whole group of folks that say ‘you know, look, we’re going to go and create a terrorist attack…’ They haven't changed their mind on it.”
Both are agreeing that the president not only abandoned the alliance between the US and the Kurds, who are on the frontlines of fighting against ISIS, but also risked the possibility of ISIS along with its allies to make progress in this war. Many agree, especially since the Kurds have been fighting by our side for so long and now they’re left vulnerable to another US ally, Turkey. Which, not surprisingly, happened only 3 days later on Oct. 10. Kurdish towns were bombed and their citizens do not know where to go.
There isn’t much hope for the Kurds since their ally, who also became their protector, essentially left them out to dry. Their bravery put them on the front lines so that American lives were not alone or even around in some instances. These people are a struggling minority who simply want to fight to live in safety just as anyone else would. Their only glimpse of hope is that they can once again ally with the US for their mutual benefit in this war in Syria.
Wesley Rodriguez-Diep is a senior studying international relations.