Victory Over the Islamic State and U.S. Withdrawal From Syria

In light of President Trump’s recent announcement to maintain a small military presence in Syria, Hudson Institute hosted a discussion on the consequences of the U.S.’s troop drawdown decision. Panelists included Jomana Qaddour, a Syrian-American analyst and doctoral candidate at Georgetown University Law Center focusing on the Syrian constitution; Bassam Ishak, U.S. Representative for the Syrian Democratic Council; and Hudson Institute Senior Fellows Michael Doran and Jonas Parello-Plesner. President Trump has proclaimed military victory over the Islamic State in Syria and announced a military drawdown of U.S. troops. However, the military defeat of the Islamic State will not be the end of the challenges facing Syria. While not a full withdrawal, this drawdown raises concerns regarding post-U.S. regional power politics, reconstruction, and accountability for the survivors in the region.