On Sunday, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper expressed his belief that President-elect Trump is unlikely to take military action in Syria. Esper shared his thoughts during an interview with CNN anchor Jake Tapper on “State of the Union,” stating, “Donald Trump is always consistent; if there’s one thing that he did not want to get involved in, it’s war. So, I think we should take him at his word on that.”
The fall of the Syrian government occurred early Sunday when rebels entered the capital city of Damascus, marking the end of the Assad family’s 50-year rule in the country. This collapse followed a 10-day offensive by rebels who rapidly seized control of large areas previously held by the government.
Trump insists the U.S. should steer clear of Syria, emphasizing it’s “not our fight.”
In response to the situation in Syria, Trump remarked on Saturday that the country “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!”
Additionally, he criticized the Syrian rebels for their takeover of the capital, noting that “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.”
Esper pointed out that the U.S. still has significant interests in the region, stating, “We do have a lot of interests in the region, in Syria.” He raised questions about the implications for Russia’s influence in the Middle East and mentioned, “What about Iran? We, of course, have our NATO ally, Turkey, in the north.
We have our partners, the Kurds, who will continue to have friction with the Turks. We have Arab partners, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, that border Syria. There’s a lot of U.S. interest here.” The Hill has contacted the Trump transition team for further comment.
