Former U.S. envoy to Syria, James Jeffrey, has warned against a potential U.S. withdrawal of troops from Syria, cautioning that such a move could benefit both Iran and the Assad regime.
His comments come amid reports suggesting that the U.S. may pull out troops from Syria, following remarks by Robert Kennedy Jr., a figure associated with the Trump campaign. Kennedy indicated that Trump plans to withdraw 500 American soldiers from northeastern Syria, an area controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with U.S. support.
Jeffrey, who served as the U.S. special envoy to Syria during Trump’s first term, expressed concern over the possible consequences of this decision. “This would be a grave mistake,” he said, “because it would strengthen the influence of Iran and Assad, creating a vacuum that could harm our various partners, including Turkey.”
While Jeffrey acknowledged the current state of U.S.-Turkey relations as generally positive, he noted they were largely transactional at the moment. However, he suggested that a potential second term for Trump could bring a more personal dynamic to the relationship, given the close ties between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his first term.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
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