Episode description

Following a late evening phone conversation with the president of Turkey, President Trump approved the Turkish decision to send troops in parts of Syria that are now controlled by American backed Kurdish forces. He said that it is time for the US troops to be pulled out. The announcement caught America’s allies by surprise, and the president’s supporters off guard. The move is seen as a major shift in the US policy which, critics say, will embolden Iran and Russia and might even help the Islamic State group to bounce back. They say the absence of US support will put Kurdish forces - America’s strongest ally in the region - in a vulnerable position and expose them to Turkish attacks. There is also concern about the fate of the thousands of ISIS prisoners held by the Kurds. But this is not the first time president Trump has expressed a desire to end American involvement in Syria. So what exactly is president Trump’s policy towards Syria? Will a US pull-out be a betrayal of its allies in the region? Will it open up new front lines and a return of ISIS? And where does it leave America’s standing in the Middle East? Paul Henley and guests discuss president Trump’s endgame for Syria.