شامگاه ۱۶ تیرماه؛ تظاهرات مردم برازجان: سوریه را رها کن؛ فکری به حال كن

Trump shouldn’t repeat Obama’s mistake in Iraq and Syria

Members of the U.S.-backed Syrian forces that captured Raqqa take a selfie Oct. 20 at the stadium where Islamic State fighters made their last stand in the city. (Asmaa Waguih/AP)

THE FINAL capture of the Islamic State’s de facto capital of Raqqa thisweek by U.S.-backed Syrian forces brings the would-be caliphate to the brink of extinction: It has lost 87 percent of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria and probably will soon be driven from the rest. But the terrorists’ defeat raises complex challenges for the United States in Iraq and Syria, where Iran and Russia are entrenching their forces and consolidating influence at the expense of U.S. allies. If there is a countering American strategy, it isn’t evident.

While gratuitously undermining the Iran nuclear agreement, President Trump promised that the United States would resist Iranian aggression in the region. Yet the administration remained passive as Iranian-led militia forces helped the Iraqi army push U.S.-allied Iraqi Kurds out of the disputed city of Kirkuk and nearby oil fields; Mr. Trump said the United States was neutral in that fight. On Syria, Washington appears content to step aside as Russia and Iran work to restore the authority of the blood-soaked regime of Bashar al-Assad — and consolidate bases for themselves.

During the fight for Raqqa, the Russia-Iran-Assad coalition recaptured territory on the other side of the Euphrates River, including the towns of Deir al-Zour and Mayadin. It is winning what has been a race to grab territory in eastern Syria, including the country’s main oil fields. And unlike Washington, Moscow and Tehran clearly intend to continue backing their allies once the Islamic State is wiped out. Rather than remain in Syria, the State Department says, the plan is to “turn [Raqqa] over to other countries and the host country” — which probably means Russia, Iran and the Assad regime.