



And all of a sudden, the US president Donald Trump decided to withdraw the US troops from Syria, declaring victory over ISIS.





No one, of course, understood why the ISIS was suddenly defeated now. So this must be a typical excuse by the American leadership to withdraw forces from a battlefield that it is no longer 'profitable' and affordable.





Comparing with other, relatively recent cases, in which even the liberal establishment was calling Trump to bomb Syria, the reactions from the US political status were rather moderate. We would expect the media pundits and the corporate puppets of the US political scene to fire back against Trump with much more anger. It didn't happen.





We will have to wait of course because the unpredictable Donnie may change his mind in the blink of an eye. And then, we will have to make a completely different discussion. Yet, if it's true, and the US troops will, indeed, leave Syria, it would be one of these very rare cases that the US imperialism have failed completely to fulfill its goals.





Many analyses already appeared, trying to interpret Trump's sudden decision. Yet, the situation in the Middle East right now is so complex and even chaotic, the various alliances so fragile, that it is very difficult to even guess what's really happening behind the scenes. You can read 100 different articles that support 100 different scenarios. So, it wouldn't harm to add another one.





First of all, it is rather improbable that the US will completely abandon the region and its interests there. Besides, it has already many troops and bases in the broader Middle East. Therefore, it is rather improbable that the US will abandon Kurds, as it has heavily invested on them for decades. This means that the US would not let them fall in the hands of some other major player in the region.





The US has failed to accomplish its core mission, which is, in short, the restriction of the Russian and the Iranian influence in the Middle East. Those regional proxy wars in Syria and Libya, that have been set up by the Obama administration, have been proven quite ineffective. They managed to increase the Russian and the Iranian military presence and influence instead, while they unleashed unprecedented chaos through CIA semi-controlled jihadist groups. A chaos that has been partially expanded even inside Western soil through various terrorist attacks.





Under these circumstances, withdrawing troops from the chaos, is rather a smart tactical move.





Beyond that, all indications show that Donald Trump is re-organizing forces to go after the major US target in the Middle East: Iran.





He ruined the deal concerning the Iranian nuclear program, despite the intense displease of the international community and his European allies. He has already appointed the most hawkish, warmongering, pro-Israel neocons in key positions. He continuously pushes for more sanctions against Iran.





So, the move to withdraw troops from Syria, where the game is lost anyway, is giving him at least three significant advantages:





First, he saves military strength and manpower and buys some time until the 2020 US presidential election to organize better the mother of all military campaigns against Iran in case of a second term in the US presidency.





Second, he leaves the others, and especially the Russians to deal with the chaos in Syria. In this way, he keeps them occupied with the Syrian chaos, while he prepares to open the war front in Iran. It will be very difficult for the Russians to participate in the Syrian and the Iranian front simultaneously.





Third, he may re-boost his popularity among his supporters in the interior, as he essentially exhibits his 'anti-interventionism' to them. This will give him a much better chance to win the 2020 US election and go for a second term. Then, he will have all the time to focus on Iran.





Trump already moved the US embassy to Jerusalem. With a promise for a direct confrontation with Iran, it is certain that he will also have all the financial support he needs from the Israeli lobby to get re-elected.



