Trump ally: Syria a ‘nightmare’
One of Washington’s most powerful Republicans has accused Donald Trump of creating a ‘‘strategic nightmare’’ for the US in the Middle East by withdrawing troops from parts of Syria.
Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Senate, which will have the final say on Trump’s impeachment, joined dissenting ranks of Republicans in publicly criticising the president at the end of one of the most bruising weeks for the Trump administration.
Choosing to write in the Washington Post, a newspaper often criticised by Trump, McConnell said: ‘‘We saw the Islamic State flourish in Iraq after President Barack Obama’s retreat.
‘‘We will see these things anew in Syria and Afghanistan if we abandon our partners and retreat from these conflicts before they are won.’’ In an apparent jibe at Trump’s description of ‘‘endless wars’’ in the region, he added: ‘‘America’s wars will be ’endless’ only if America refuses to win them.’’
A fragile ceasefire appeared to be holding along Turkey’s border with Syria yesterday. But the deal that brought it about has opened up a new front at home for Trump.
Trump heralded the five-day truce he secured as a ‘‘great day for civilisation’’. But critics called it another betrayal of the Kurds, as it was conditional on the withdrawal of their forces.
Among the unexpected critics were McConnell and Lindsey Graham, the senator for South Carolina.
Graham is one of Trump’s staunchest backers but their Syrian clash turned into a slanging match.
Then there is Ukraine. Republican senators have largely kept their counsel over Trump’s attempt to put pressure on the country’s government to investigate Joe Biden, the former vicepresident whom he could face at the 2020 election – behaviour which triggered the impeachment inquiry.
But that silence does not equate to support. When caught on camera and asked if they are fine with a president seeking foreign help with re-election, few senators are saying yes.
The Democrat-held House of Representatives will almost certainly vote to impeach Trump, McConnell privately warned Republican senators at a meeting last week. Then it would be over to the Senate to convict or not.
Trump’s alliance with Republican senators has always been a marriage of convenience. Now those bonds are visibly weakening.
However, Trump allies see all this as Washington noise. Some are confident that, when the moment comes, Republicans will not vote to plunge the knife – and Democrats’ 47 seats fall far short of the 66 needed to convict.
Meanwhile, although surveys suggest a narrow majority of Americans now favour impeachment and removal from office, Republican voters remain fiercely against. –