Trump Is Staying in Syria, Where America’s Enemies Hold All the Cards
- Russia, Iran pursue postwar settlement with Turks on board
- America has ‘little influence’ in Syria, ex-ambassador says
Photographer: Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images
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It’s usually the victors who convene peace conferences, to cement their gains, and that’s what Russia and Iran are trying to do in Syria. The wild card in their calculations is Donald Trump’s America.
U.S. troops, in Syria to fight Islamic State, won’t be packing their bags now the jihadist group is essentially beaten. They’re staying on. But it’s not clear what role they’ll play in the wider Syrian conflict that’s also entering its endgame. Washington is in the unaccustomed position of watching from the sidelines -- while its rivals, and some of its allies, team up on a peace plan.