President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria is extremely reckless and is bound to backfire in more than one way. To make such a decision, which has major implications that directly and adversely affect our allies in and outside the region, through a simple tweet and against the advice of his senior advisers, is nothing short of outrageous. This is the most valuable New Year's gift that Trump could possibly give Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and Turkey. What on earth did he base his decision on, as from every angle we examine it there seems to be absolutely no good that could possibly come out of it.
In fact, U.S. forces should not only remain in Syria but be further augmented to secure Washington's as well as its allies' short- and long-term national interests throughout the region. The reasons for staying and even further boosting U.S. forces in Syria are manifold.
The pullout of U.S. forces at a time when Iran is in the process of establishing several permanent military bases in Syria, loaded with medium- and long-range missiles that can reach any part of Israel, is a recipe for war between Israel and Iran. The American withdrawal would motivate Iran to further destabilize the region, support extremist groups, especially Hezbollah, and accelerate its ballistic missile program. More importantly, it will allow Iran to secure a contiguous landmass from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.