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Avoiding a Free-for-all in Syria’s North East
President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. troops to withdraw from north-east Syria.
- ICG
This risks chaos and drives home the urgent need for a deal that restores Syrian state sovereignty to its north east, assuages Turkish security concerns and allows for some degree of Kurdish self-rule.
- What’s new?
President Trump’s surprise decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria followed previous warnings that he justified their presence only as part of the campaign to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS).
Trump said the mission is accomplished, though ISIS remains active in both Syria and Iraq.
- Why does it matter?
The U.S. has not laid the…