The Shoot from the Hip Solo Performer Is Back
It is too chaotic to conclude anything meaningful about the sudden fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. But even for those who do not closely follow Middle East news, clearly the takeover is a major stone dropped into the international waters that will have effects well beyond that neighborhood.
What we did get in this first day was a quick snapshot of the arrival of an incoming Donald Trump administration and how he intends to act — or not — on our behalf in the world.
Among the ripples from Assad’s departure were sudden deployments of Turkish and Israeli military to the border regions to protect their own interests, a shutdown and withdrawal by Iran from its supporting role, and layered, if hurried diplomatic efforts worldwide to determine what happens next in a country ruined by civil war with religious and political chasms and ever-mysterious alliances even involving sometime terror groups on both sides.
You know that the White House situation room was bristling with efforts both at fact-gathering and diplomatic influence. Public statements were not the first priority.
In short, Syria presents among the most complex international issues anywhere — and its next chapters undoubtably will affect the Israel-Gaza conflict, the struggles for dominance between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the ever-proxy skirmishes among the world’s big powers.
Assad has been among the globe’s most hated dictators, someone willing to use chemical weapons on his own people, one whose open alliance with Hezbollah, Iran and Russia have placed him in conflict with most of the civilized world. Nevertheless, what the world craves most is stability, not total chaos; yesterday, no one even knew where Assad had fled, never mind what the effects of a rebellion would be.
Enter Donald Trump
So, here was Donald Trump in Paris on his first foreign trip since the election at the ceremonial role of guest at the Notre Dame restoration celebration. He had taken 45 minutes at the insistence of French President Emmanual Macron to meet — late –with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Then Damascus fell, Assad fled, and we have a chaotic international situation.
What we saw was that Trump started speaking notably without his team or any gathered intelligence, without reference to either human impact or diplomatic, military and security impact on the region. Syria was not America’s business, Trump said on his preferred diplomatic medium, Truth Social.
Instead, he invited Russia and China to step in, for Russia and Ukraine to open negotiations to end that war, and generally to stop conflicts that result in killings.
That’s it. It was a statement that was reactive, not one of leadership. It was meandering and not on point. And it was real-world, fact-free sloganeering statement of the kind of American isolationism that Trump likes to preach.
International interests aside, the United States has 900 troops deployed in early-alert bases in Syria, several of which have come under Iranian or Hezbollah missile attacks in recent months. In response to anti-humanitarian Assad actions, the United States has granted asylum to about 28,000 Syrians in the last few years, far less than the three million crossing into Turkey, but still substantial. And the United States is deeply involved in the issues related to both international anti-terrorism efforts and the current issues of defending Israel from conflicts spreading across those very thin Middle East borders.
Where is Team Trump?
Given the news and its reach, it seems fair to look at the people upon whom Trump says he is relying for advice — though it is not clear he is consulting anyone but himself before opening up about Syria.
It was Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice for national security adviser, who reached out twice in unauthorized efforts, to Assad to show some level of empathy or support for his brutal government amid Syrian civil war, even denying U.S. intelligence reports. It is the same Pete Hegseth, the currently beleaguered defense secretary pick, who should be advising Trump about the U.S. military options and issues at risk. It is Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been reported already to be making foreign rounds, who should be advising about diplomatic positioning.
The hesitance in the Senate for immediate calls for confirmations reflects exactly the kind of concern there is about contradictory policies and lack of experience and competence emerging from choices that reflect personal Trump loyalty rather than global understanding.
Instead, what we see is a shoot-from-the-hip, solo performer in Trump. Forget whether Americans agree or disagree with his positions. We have a right to believe that a U.S. president is speaking with some understanding of the complexities of a pending situation, not just offering bromides.
Real lives are at stake. We can do better.
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