After Trump declared that he would withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, opinion pieces in the American press on “Trump’s doctrine” swiftly followed each other. In these op-eds, Trump's statement was a strong sign that the U.S. would abandon wars in the Middle East. Trump's latest Syria announcement is the clearest expression of this foreign policy doctrine, according to Alex Ward, a columnist at Vox, who said that historians who would study Trump's foreign policy doctrine should base it on this statement.
The harshest criticism levelled against Trump came from his own party's senators. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has always shielded Trump from accusations inside or outside the party, ranks first on this list. Graham even referred to the ongoing impeachment inquiry by House Democrats, suggesting that he might give up protecting him in the Senate.
It is very difficult for Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, Afghanistan or other countries. Trump has a personality that does not hesitate to step back when he feels a danger to himself. As a result, Trump's decisions remain in the “attempt” phase. A powerful hand stops Trump at the last minute. It is no secret that the motive of politicians who oppose withdrawing troops from Syria, is Israel's interests. Politicians who rely on support from the Israeli Lobby do not hesitate to make it clear that they are defending Israel.
A doctrine is a coherent political framework with cornerstones and principles. It's hard to talk about a doctrine when it comes to Trump, who is driven by his impulses and changes his mind when he starts feeling the heat. Over the last week, Trump changed his mind about Syria very quickly. We are bringing our soldiers home, Trump said at first. Then it was said that the soldiers would be redeployed to the western regions of Iraq. It was then stated that some soldiers would be left behind in eastern Syria. Now it is being said that the Pentagon has begun work to dispatch additional troops and tanks to protect the oil fields there.
It seems that Senator Graham and his peers somehow convinced Trump to stay in Syria. According to information leaked to the American media, maps showing the oil fields in Syria were circulated.
Maps shown to Trump indicate that nearly three-quarters of the oil fields are located in U.S.-controlled areas. In the event of a U.S. pullout, these oil fields will be controlled by Iran and Russia.
Circles that wanted to prevent Trump from withdrawing troops from Syria have literally established “persuasion chambers.” These attempts to persuade the president are based on Trump's interest in financial gains rather than in a military strategy. These circles take advantage of Trump's mercantile impulses by wrapping their attempts at persuasion up in an economic framework. Similar maps exist for Afghanistan. Trump, who promised to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan in the 2016 elections, was negotiating with the Taliban.
Trump was saying that, although the United States spent a lot of money in Afghanistan and lost more than 2,000 troops, its mineral resources were being tapped into by China. Eric Prince, the founder of the private security company Blackwater, which had become notorious for its role in the Iraq war, proposed to Trump a project involving the expulsion of mercenaries and the use of mines for the benefit of the United States. This project was described as the American version of the East India Company which exploited India for 250 years. I have no doubt that these projects, which were revamped and presented to Trump, are part of a much darker attempt on the central strongholds of Islam, which is called the “greater Middle East”. Oil, mines, are just the tip of the iceberg. We must remember that the most dangerous wolf is the one dressed like a sheep.
