A few possibilities:
- This might be an inaccurate press report (fog of war).
- This could be because of Erdogan probing US resolve after the Democrats won the House. He wasn’t bluffing about invading Afrin.
- This could be Erdogan trying to distract away from the Operation to finish off ISIS (which is desperately close to defeat), to enable more escapes or even to decisively end the operation and save a functioning caliphate, however small.
- This withdrawal might be a legal demand from incoming Democrat leaders in the House (under the War Powers Act), or even a negotiating chip in the budget battle.
He could be using the allocated Syria budget for the wall.
Actually, the most obvious possibility is that withdrawal plans are for after the defeat of ISIS, and have been misinterpreted/misrepresented as a change in policy.
The time may simply be approaching operationally, now that Hajin has fallen (in the last week). ISIS no longer controls any substantial towns.
It may simply be that the war against ISIS is WON - but the press has to spin that in to a negative, or it might reflect well on President Trump, or raise inappropriate pride in America, or something.
This is not FakeNews.
Donald J. Trump
Verified account @realDonaldTrump
We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.
9:29 AM - 19 Dec 2018