Part 2: Israel's Comments About USA Pulling Out of Syria Before It's Time

  Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

Benjamin Netanyahu, P.M.of "Likud" and Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister of "Labor"
Opposing Political Parties and Prime Ministers of Israel

"Trump is deserting Syria and the Iranians are celebrating," Ehud Barak, a former Prime Minister of Israel said. "Endless photo opportunities" between Trump and Netanyahu "will not mask the truth: Trump does not work for Bibi and neither does (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. Israel and only Israel is responsible for its own future and fate," Barak tweeted.                                                               

National security adviser John Bolton speaks at a Federalist Society luncheon at the Mayflower Hotel on Sept. 10, 2018, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

The pledge of keeping troops in Syria as long as Iranian troops are in the area during  war against the Islamic State in the eastern third of the country was made. While Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have said Iran poses the bigger strategic threat, U.S. military leaders have emphasized that Iran is not their focus.  They're just beginning to feel the pressure that Israel has been under in having many different terrorists against them.   Here it's ISIS versus

Hezbolla.  Iran is backing the Syrian government.  Syria will act as their puppet.  

                                                                               

Pompeo with Netanyahu
In October 2018, Pompeo told a Jewish group that: 

"In signs of a shift, US secretary tells Jewish policy group a new key role of US troops in Syria will be to ensure Tehran withdraws forces; backs Israeli strikes on Iranian targets." So this move is not one thought over over the weekend, then.  It's been in the planning stage.  They were going to stay with new goals.  

"If Syria doesn’t ensure the total withdrawal of Iranian-backed troops, it will not receive one single dollar from the United States for reconstruction,” Pompeo said." Perhaps the USA can use google to spot Iranian troops without leaving their offices.  

Pompeo’s remarks come as the Trump administration shifts its reasoning for US involvement in Syria’s brutal civil war, which a war monitor says has killed close to 365,000 people since 2011. 

Trump with Netanyahu
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would study the decision and would ensure its own security."
Those opposition leaders of Netanyahu will use this shaming him for
depending so much on the USA and Trump.  

 Donald Trump spoke with Netanyahu on Monday and Pompeo spoke with him on Tuesday before the announced the pullout of American troops from Syria on Wednesday.  Netanyahu said he wasn't surprised, and that Israel  would defend itself.  "                                       

US Forces will be leaving soon but not ISIS,
still in small pockets in northern Syria

The US didn’t have a massive troop presence, but it still managed to keep Tehran’s weapons from the Iraq-Syria border region; now even Netanyahu can’t hide his disappointment." The Prime Minister was speaking about Iran, the more deadly enemy, present with Hezbollah in Syria.  

"One US official said Washington aims to withdraw troops within 60 to 100 days, and said the US State Department was evacuating all its personnel in Syria within 24 hours". The timing could be even faster.  Families will be having very a happy holiday.  
                                                  

USA Army leaving Syria

Many Israelis are shocked and disappointed at the USA pullout.  An opposition figure described it as a surrender, while a retired air force general said it was a move that would damage the reputation of the United States. Others said it would strengthen Iran, embolden Russia, create complications for Israel and challenges for regional US allies such as Jordan. Trump reiterated that the 2,000 leaving have been  training local forces and working with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to combat ISIS.

Trump is wary of open-ended foreign conflicts and his decision on Syria raises questions about whether he may also reconsider the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan, where American forces have been fighting since 2001.
                                                              

Typical ISIS Act-Beheading prisoners.
They're not of the right group of Muslims, not like the extreme ISIS.

A fast pull-out "would raise doubts about how to prevent a resurgence of the terrorist group, undercut US leverage in the region and undermine diplomatic efforts to end the Syrian civil war, now in its eighth year."  

Could it be coming about because Trump is threatening to shut down the government if he doesn't get the money to build THE WALL, the wall between Mexico and the USA to keep out illegal crossing into the States?  He has an agenda of completing projects promised.  He was bound to do one of them and the troops in Syria was next on the list.  
                                                            

Pockets of ISIS in northern Syria are still active,
part of the 10% remaining.  

Trump just spoke on TV about it and explains that "WE WON."  Ran Paul, Senator, is happy about this.  Others aren't.  ISIS came out of the old Al Qaeda.  Fallen American soldiers were said to be happy about it, but one, a Vet, doesn't think so.  The move can strengthen Iran's hold in Syria through Hezbollah.  It's hard to keep a promise of leaving and hold one's newly-won position.  The 2 goals are at odds with each other.  
                                                             

Syrian Army; Hezbollah Fighters 

Iran, and its Russian allies, will likely interpret the American move as an admission of defeat and feel emboldened to act in Syria as they please.                                                    

  

"A complete withdrawal of US troops from Syria would leave a sizable US military presence in the region, including about 5,200 troops across the border in Iraq. Much of the US campaign in Syria has been waged by warplanes flying out of Qatar and other locations in the Middle East. As we understand, it's just the 2,000 in Syria that are going home.  If, G-d forbid, Israel did need help, USA troops are close by.  They wouldn't have to come from the east coast of the USA.  
                                                                   

General James Mattis b: September 8, 1950

Still, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and State Department officials have long fretted about leaving Syria before a peace agreement can be reached to end the brutal civil war."  This could be why Trump isn't happy with him.  

Amos Yadlin, a former general in the Israeli air force and later Israeli military attache to Washington, said that by deserting its Kurdish partners who have assisted in fighting ISIS, Trump was damaging the reputation of the United States and the trust regional states had in it
                                                             

An interesting note about ISIS from 2009: In 2009, before the Syrian civil war, a bus ride from Homs to Deir al-Zor on the Euphrates River would take around five or six hours. There was a stop for refreshments just outside of the historic city of Palmyra. Until recently, fighters from Islamic State had been taking that bus route which has been run by Syria's Hezbollah terrorists:  one terrorist group helping another!  

Haaretz wrote back in April 2018 that they knew Trump felt their job was coming to an end. " A headline said,

"Trump's White House says military mission to eradicate ISIS in Syria 'coming to rapid end.  They saw the USA wasn't in agreement with him.

"Trump keeps saying he wants out of Syria, while U.S. defense officials and diplomats say the United States remains committed to its role in pacifying the country after seven years of a devastating war."  I must add this, though.  "It is known for its left-wing and liberal stances on domestic and foreign issues. As of 2016, the newspaper had a weekday exposure rate of 3.9% in Israel."  At least they printed the truth.  The USA is not backing Trump's decision.  

Resource:  Update 12/23/18, 7pm:    https://www.jpost.com/International/IDF-Chief-Syria-withdrawal-signifcant-but-should-not-be-exaggerated-575157?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=20-2-2018&utm_content=idf-chief-syria-withdrawal-signifcant-but-should-not-be-exaggerated-575157

 https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Netanyahu-We-will-protect-ourselves-after-US-leaves-Syria-574846
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pompeo-says-syria-wont-get-a-dollar-in-reconstruction-aid-if-iran-forces-stay/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-pullout-from-syria-may-embolden-iran-and-leave-israel-in-the-cold/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-syria/us-weighs-complete-withdrawal-of-troops-from-syria-us-officials-idUSKBN1OI1JC
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/19/politics/israel-us-syria-withdrawal/index.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/the-4-big-winners-of-us-withdrawal-from-syria-are-all-us-adversaries-2018-12?utm_content=buffer0e157&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer-bi&fbclid=IwAR2TtSjdyX7XLeq2FfbbwWlQctuOmZCPerHm3PQsoL6Q99SlX7mAk-tmzd8
https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/syria/donald-trump-wants-out-of-syria-israel-thinks-that-s-a-problem-1.5976689