Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Sign in
  • Members
    • Monthly – $5 a month
    • Annual – $50 a year
    • Member Benefits
    • Account
    • Exclusive Analysis
    • Member Library
    • My Favorites
  • Resources
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Archives for Syria

Top General Disagrees with Trump on Syria Pullout

February 15, 2019 at 7:16 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The U.S. commander who has been leading the war against ISIS told CNN that he disagreed with Donald Trump’s decision to pull troops out of Syria and warned that the terror group was far from defeated, in a stark public break with the President.

Said Gen. Joseph Votel: “It would not have been my military advice at that particular time… I would not have made that suggestion, frankly.”

Votel said that he “was not consulted” before Trump’s controversial announcement late last year that the U.S. would rapidly withdraw its troops from the war-torn country.

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

Senate Backs McConnell’s Rebuke of Trump

January 31, 2019 at 3:35 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The vast majority of Republican senators voted to support a measure declaring that the Islamic State and al-Qaeda remain serious threats in Syria and Afghanistan — directly contradicting the president’s assessment and his justification for seeking to withdraw U.S. troops from both countries,” the Washington Post reports.

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Trump supporter who seldom openly crosses the president, drafted the amendment to a larger Middle East policy bill.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs, Senate Tagged With: Afghanistan, Syria

Trump Gives ISIS New Life

January 18, 2019 at 9:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Brett McGurk, who recently resigned as special envoy to the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS, writes in the Washington Post that President Trump’s decision to pull troops from Syria “was made without deliberation, consultation with allies or Congress, assessment of risk, or appreciation of facts.”

“The irony is that defeating the Islamic State is what the president said from the beginning was his goal. In 2016, he vowed to ‘knock the hell out of ISIS.’ His recent choices, unfortunately, are already giving the Islamic State — and other American adversaries — new life.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

U.S. Soldiers Killed In ISIS Attack

January 16, 2019 at 10:15 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Islamic State asserted responsibility Wednesday for a suicide blast in the U.S.-patrolled city of Manbij in Syria, the first such attack since President Trump said American forces would withdraw from the country because the militant group has been largely defeated,” the Washington Post reports.

“In a message posted to Twitter, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State said that U.S. service members were killed while conducting a routine patrol in the city but did not say how many died or provide further details.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

U.S. Begins Pulling Troops from Syria

January 11, 2019 at 7:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The United States has started withdrawing its troops from Syria, an American military spokesman said on Friday, further muddling the Trump administration’s plans for disengagement from one of the Middle East’s most complex battlefields,” the New York Times reports.

“As recently as Sunday, President Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, had said that the pullout was conditional on circumstances that could leave American forces there for months or even years. That followed by less than a month President Trump’s announcement that he intended to pull out the roughly 2,000 American troops within 30 days.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

Syria Withdrawal Waiting on ‘Conditions’

January 6, 2019 at 8:02 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, said that “the U.S. military withdrawal from northeastern Syria is conditioned on defeating the remnants of the Islamic State group, and on Turkey assuring the safety of Kurdish fighters allied with the United States,” the AP reports.

“Bolton’s comments mark the first public confirmation that the drawdown has been slowed, as Trump faced widespread criticism from allies and the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for a policy that was to have been conducted within weeks.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

U.S. Envoy Resigns In Response to Trump’s Syria Move

December 22, 2018 at 12:29 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, has resigned in protest to President Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, joining Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in an administration exodus of experienced national security officials,” the AP reports.

“Only 11 days ago, McGurk had said it would be ‘reckless’ to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home. He decided to speed up his plan to leave in mid-February.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

Trump Call with Turkish Leader Led to Pull Out

December 21, 2018 at 10:33 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syria was made hastily, without consulting his national security team or allies, and over strong objections from virtually everyone involved in the fight against the Islamic State,” the AP reports.

“Trump stunned his Cabinet, lawmakers and much of the world with the move by rejecting the advice of his top aides and agreeing to a withdrawal in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria, Turkey

Putin Praises Trump’s Decision on Syria

December 20, 2018 at 7:08 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Russian President Vladimir Putin praised President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, describing the American presence there as illegitimate and the Islamic State as largely defeated on the ground,” the Washington Post reports.

“Putin told journalists at his annual year-end news conference that the Islamic State has suffered ‘serious blows’ in Syria.”

Said Putin: “On this, Donald is right. I agree with him.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria, Vladimir Putin

Allies Were Not Told of Trump’s Syria Decision

December 20, 2018 at 7:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “A number of close U.S. allies who are members of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State said they were not consulted and were given no prior warning.”

“One European defense secretary put in a call Tuesday to Jim Mattis after hearing rumors of the decision and received a late-night call back from the defense secretary with confirmation. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not participate in the meeting with Trump and was in the dark until after it took place.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

Republicans Condemn Trump’s Surprise Syria Decision

December 20, 2018 at 7:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

GOP senators leveled “blistering criticism” at Vice President Mike Pence for President Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria, “with multiple Republican senators expressing outrage and frustration,” Politico reports.

“Pence was dispatched to the Hill as the administration began absorbing a torrent of condemnation from hawkish Republicans, who blasted the White House announcement that the U.S. and its allies have defeated the Islamic State in Syria and that some of the 2,000 U.S. troops battling the terrorist group will begin coming home.”

“Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told Pence he was ‘personally offended’ to read about the decision in the news rather than hearing from the president or his aides.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

U.S. Will Pull All Troops from Syria

December 19, 2018 at 9:12 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A defense official told the Washington Post that the Trump administration plans to pull U.S. troops from Syria immediately.

“The decision would remove the entire force of more than 2,000 U.S. service members and end the extended ground mission against the Islamic State.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

Macron Says He Changed Trump’s Mind on Syria

April 15, 2018 at 9:25 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday he “convinced” President Trump to stay in Syria before the United States, United Kingdom and France launched strikes against targets at three sites Friday night, CNN reports.

Said Macron: “Ten days ago, President Trump said the USA’s will is to disengage from Syria. We convinced him that it was necessary to stay.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

U.S. Declares Syria Strikes a Success

April 14, 2018 at 12:05 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Defense Department officials said on Saturday that American-led strikes against Syria had taken out the ‘heart’ of President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons program, but acknowledged that the Syrian government most likely retained some ability to again attack its own people with chemical agents,” the New York Times reports.

“Warplanes and ships from the United States, Britain and France launched more than 100 missiles at three chemical weapons storage and research facilities near Damascus and Homs, the officials told reporters, in an operation that President Trump and Pentagon leaders hailed as a success.”

President Trump tweeted: “Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

Trump Taunts Putin Ahead of Possible Missile Strike

April 11, 2018 at 7:11 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump appeared to taunt Russian president Vladimir Putin on Twitter:

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Russia, Syria

Fox News Guest Speaks Directly to Trump

April 9, 2018 at 1:50 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Bassam Rifai of the Syrian American Council was a guest on Fox News when he turned to the camera and said, “President Trump, I’m speaking to you directly. What we need to do right now is to take out Assad’s air force.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs, Media Buzz Tagged With: Syria

Trump Says Response to Syria Attack Coming Soon

April 9, 2018 at 12:16 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump said that his administration would be making decisions about its response to a chemical attack in Syria within the next 24 to 48 hours, decrying the action as “atrocious” and “horrible,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Trump: “This is about humanity, and it can’t be allowed to happen.”

New York Times: “The challenge for Mr. Trump’s Middle East policy came on a day when he was already facing a transition in his foreign policy team as his new national security adviser, John Bolton, arrived for his first day on the job and the president was scheduled to host the nation’s senior military leaders for dinner at the White House.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

Trump Raises Prospect of Missile Strike on Syria

April 8, 2018 at 1:05 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

President Trump “promised a ‘big price’ to be paid for what he said was a chemical weapons attack that choked dozens of Syrians to death the day before, and a top White House official said the administration would not rule out a missile strike to retaliate against the government of President Bashar al-Assad,” the New York Times reports.

“In a tweet, Mr. Trump laid the blame for the attack partly on President Vladimir Putin of Russia, the first time since his election that he has criticized the Russian leader by name on Twitter.”

Filed Under: Foreign Affairs Tagged With: Syria

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Your Account

Sign in

Latest for Members

  • Don’t Dismiss Bernie Sanders
  • Political Wire Straw Poll Results

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Praise for Political Wire

"There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them."

-- Chuck Todd, host of "Meet the Press"

"Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all."

-- Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

"Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

-- Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

"The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom -- nicely packaged, constantly updated... What political junkie could ask for more?"

-- Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2019 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy