On Dec. 19, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would be withdrawing all of its soldiers from Syria. His logic in making such a declaration was that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had been completely defeated, and that there was no need for U.S. soldiers in Syria anymore. Large amounts of uncertainty and speculation have arisen as a result of the ambiguity of his statement and those of subsequent statements from members of his administration. 

Soon after President Trump declared that the U.S. would be withdrawing its military forces from Syria, John Bolton, a high-ranking member of his administration, stated that such a withdrawal would be conditioned on ensured protection for the Kurds and the certainty that ISIS had been defeated, according to The Washington Post. Also according to The Washington Post, both Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have been in contact with Middle Eastern leaders to assure them that the U.S. will not withdraw troops from Syria until their safety and the safety of the Kurds has been assured. 

The assurances of not leaving before safety in the region has been ensured by Bolton and Pompeo, though, have come in conflict with statements made by President Trump. Initially, Trump stated on Twitter that the withdrawal would be “now,” a statement that he later changed after other members of his administration began sending mixed messages. 

While some pockets of ISIS still exist in Syria, it has been defeated to a large extent and only exists in a small area near the Euphrates River according to CNN. One of the main priorities of the U.S. in the region is to ensure the safety of the Kurds, who have been repeatedly threatened by Turkey, who plans on destroying them once US troops leave the region according to The Washington Post. 

McLean High School students are somewhat divided on where they stand regarding this issue. 

“Trump did say that ISIS has been dealt with in Syria so I don’t see any worthwhile benefit from staying in Syria. Not worth it to stay involved for so long,” said senior George Cao. 

Senior Omar Al-Gailani had a different opinion on this issue. 

“I believe that it was a rushed mistake for the sake of a campaign promise. There is still a threat present in Syria, and that move may cost everyone,” Al-Gailani said. 

According to The New York Times, some military equipment has been withdrawn from Syria but there have been no confirmed changes in troop movements.