Donald Trump Doing More Harm To National Security Than Any Foreign Adversary, Says Former Security Adviser
Donald Trump’s foreign policy decisions, and especially his latest move to withdraw the U.S. troops from Syria, has invited the wrath of several security experts who contend that pulling the troops will not only make America’s allies weaker but will also give fringe militant groups a fertile ground to consolidate themselves once again. One of Trump’s most vociferous critics is former national security adviser Susan Rice, who, in a scathing op-ed published in the New York Times, called Trump’s decision to pulls troops from Syria and Afghanistan an example of his “dangerous dysfunction.”
Trump’s decision to pull troops was entirely unexpected. It reportedly left many in his close circle blindsided, which was evident when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis abruptly announced his resignation in a letter to the President shortly after Trump’s announcement. In the letter, Mattis wrote that “because you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours” on a number of subjects, “I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.” In a stunning rebuke, Mattis urged Trump to respect U.S. allies and NATO while being extremely careful with malignant foreign actors trying to sow discord in America.
Citing Mattis’ letter, Susan Rice wrote that Trump’s untimely decision to pull troops is not based on facts. Trump claimed that ISIS has been defeated completely in Syria, which is not true.
“In fact, the Islamic State is not defeated, though it is greatly weakened,” Rice wrote.
“The Pentagon estimates that 2,000 to 2,500 fighters continue to control territory in southeastern Syria, while tens of thousands more remain throughout Syria and Iraq. Although many militants have melted back into the population, they can re-emerge, as we saw after the American withdrawal from Iraq in 2011.”
Susan Rice pens op-ed torching Trump on foreign policy: He "has dealt the death blow to effective policymaking" https://t.co/tTho4GTVOH pic.twitter.com/TBOS0uQWzC
— The Hill (@thehill) December 23, 2018
Blaming Trump for taking such important foreign policy decisions without the consultation of American allies, as was evident in French president Emmanuel Macron’s strong rebuttal of Trump’s decision, Rice wrote that U.S. foreign police decisionmaking has never been as “broken” since the end of the Second World War. While she called John Bolton’s ineptitude when it came to convening with military personnel and members of his cabinet as being a major reason for the “dysfunction,” she termed Trump’s impulsiveness a “death blow to effective policymaking.”
“The president couldn’t care less about facts, intelligence, military analysis or the national interest,” Rice wrote in her stinging rebuke.
“He refuses to take seriously the views of his advisers, announces decisions on impulse and disregards the consequences of his actions. In abandoning the role of a responsible commander in chief, Mr. Trump today does more to undermine American national security than any foreign adversary.”
Arguing that Donald Trump’s decisionmaking is rash, Rice decried the departure of “wise, principled leadership” of Jim Mattis, saying it would only make Trump more “selfish” and lead the United States down a dangerous path.
