Trump Mocks Obama’s ‘Red Line’ On Syria While Declaring US Should Stay Clear of Rekindled Civil War: ‘LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!’
President-elect Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to make clear he doesn’t believe the United States should be involved at all in ongoing strife in Syria as rebel forces move their way to the capital city of Damascus.
Syria dictator Bashar al-Assad is facing threats from multiple rebellion fronts currently. In an effort that began last month, forces have reportedly reached the outskirts of Homs, leaving them just 100 miles from Damascus, where al-Assad is.
The New York Times reported on Saturday:
The group leading the offensive said it was preparing to surround the capital.
“Our forces have begun implementing the final phase of encircling the capital Damascus,” rebel commander Lt. Col. Hassan Abdulghani said on Saturday afternoon in a statement posted on the rebels’ official Telegram channel. He gave no further details and it was not immediately clear whether any operation on the ground near Damascus was underway.
“We have started sending more reinforcements from the north and south to the axes of the capital Damascus to support our ongoing operations there,” Mr. Abdulghani said hours later.
Syria ally Iran has also begun moving personnel and military forces out of the country. Internal strife in Syria is nothing new. Former President Barack Obama famously threatened there was a “red line” for US involvement when it came to the use of chemical weapons in 2012, though the US did not directly get involved.
On Saturday, Trump used the new rising conflicts in the country to not only knock Obama’s “red line” comment, but to also make clear that he doesn’t believe the US should be involved at all. He encouraged a “let it play out” strategy.
The president-elect wrote:
Opposition fighters in Syria, in an unprecedented move, have totally taken over numerous cities, in a highly coordinated offensive, and are now on the outskirts of Damascus, obviously preparing to make a very big move toward taking out Assad. Russia, because they are so tied up in Ukraine, and with the loss there of over 600,000 soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years. This is where former President Obama refused to honor his commitment of protecting the RED LINE IN THE SAND, and all hell broke out, with Russia stepping in. But now they are, like possibly Assad himself, being forced out, and it may actually be the best thing that can happen to them. There was never much of a benefit in Syria for Russia, other than to make Obama look really stupid. In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week that the administration is “closely monitoring” developments in Syria and has been in contact with countries in the region.
“The Assad regime’s ongoing refusal to engage in the political process outlined in UNSCR 2254, and its reliance on Russia and Iran, created the conditions now unfolding, including the collapse of Assad regime lines in northwest Syria,” National Safety Council Spokesperson Sean Savett said last weekend in a statement on the ongoing situation.
