Trump's former anti-ISIS envoy blasts 'impulsive' Syria pullback

Brett McGurk
(Image credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images)

President Trump is "not a commander-in-chief," his former anti-ISIS envoy says.

The White House announced Sunday the U.S. will "no longer be in the immediate area" of northern Syria where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday a Turkish military incursion was "imminent." The White House's statement also said that Turkey "will now be responsible for all ISIS fighters in the area captured over the past two years."

In response, Brett McGurk, former special presidential envoy for the global coalition to counter the Islamic State, blasted Trump in a Twitter thread, saying is he "not a commander-in-chief" and that he "makes impulsive decisions with no knowledge or deliberation."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
See more

McGurk writes that the White House's statement "demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of anything happening on the ground," as contrary to what it suggests, the U.S. is "not holding any ISIS detainees" but rather they "are all being held by the [Syrian Democratic Forces], which Trump just served up to Turkey." McGurk also says that "Turkey has neither the intent, desire, nor capacity to manage" 60,000 detainees, and "believing otherwise is a reckless gamble with our national security."

"Bottom line: Trump tonight after one call with a foreign leader provided a gift to Russia, Iran, and ISIS," he concludes.

McGurk, who also served in the Obama and Bush administrations, in December left his position two months early after Trump announced he would withdraw troops from Syria, in a Washington Post op-ed later saying that Trump in doing so is giving ISIS "new life." Trump subsequently dismissed him in a tweet as "Brett McGurk, who I do not know."

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.