Susan Glasser: “When the commander of U.S. forces in Europe, General Curtis Scaparrotti, met privately with members of Congress at the Munich Security Conference, last weekend, Senator Lindsey Graham finished the meeting with a blunt question. Graham asked Scaparrotti what impact President Trump’s order to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria by April would have on America’s allies there.”
“A participant in the meeting told me, ‘Lindsey asked him, “Is it fair to say if this is carried out to the end, we will not have any allies? Would it be fair to say it would lead to a disaster?”’
“The answer was equally blunt: ‘Yes, sir.’”
“After I expressed surprise at the stark reply from a uniformed commander, the participant reminded me that military officials are obliged to advise members of Congress appropriately, under a provision in the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act.”
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