The assessments could hardly be more contradictory. On Wednesday, Donald Trump defended his own decision to withdraw US troops from northern Syria in the usual bombastic manner as "strategically brilliant". Mitch McConnell sees this fundamentally different. In a guest award for the "Washington Post" he called the procedure a "strategic nightmare".
And McConnell is not anyone, but as a Republican majority leader in the US Senate one of the most powerful politicians in his party. From this there had been criticism of Trump's actions in the civil war country again and again. Even so, McConnell's lines are remarkably sharp. The fact that Trump has led a personal campaign against the liberal "Washington Post" for years is unlikely to diminish the impact of criticism.
"Taking US troops out of Syria is a serious strategic mistake," McConnell wrote in the guest post, which was released on Friday (local time). This makes America less secure, strengthens the enemies of the United States and weakens important partners.
Three lessons - which Trump apparently did not pull
He has learned three lessons from the fight against international terrorism in recent years: The threat does not simply disappear, US leadership is unequaled here and America is not alone in this struggle, but relies on local partners in the region.
And then it becomes clear once again: "Unfortunately, the recent steps taken by the Syrian government do not reflect these important lessons," complained McConnell. "The combination of a US withdrawal and escalating hostilities between Turks and Kurds creates a strategic nightmare for our country."
He warned, "Even if Thursday's truce lasts five days, last week's events threw back the US fight against the 'Islamic State' and other terrorists."
In the video: 120 hours battle break for northern Syria
Murat Cetinmuhurdar / Turkish Presidency / Getty Images
The withdrawal of American troops would - if it is not stopped - the Syrian ruler President Bashar al-Assad, Iran and Russia in the hands play.
Trump buddy Graham also turns against the president
McConnell called urgently to keep a limited number of US troops in Syria, to maintain military presence in Iraq and elsewhere in the region, and not to leave Afghanistan before the job was done there. "America's wars are 'endless' only if America refuses to win them." While he does not explicitly use the name of the US president in the text, the message is clear.
more on the subject
Trump has long been pursuing the goal of taking US troops home from overseas operations and ending US involvement in "endless wars." With the withdrawal of American soldiers from northern Syria in early October, the Republican had cleared the way for a military offensive by Turkey against Kurdish militias in the area, which met with the strongest criticism both nationally and internationally.
Even close allies in his own party, such as Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, publicly railed against Trump's course. With McConnell now an even more weighty voice from the own ranks has been added.
