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President Donald Trump delivers a speech about the economy at Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern, New York, on May 22, 2026. (Getty Images)
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April 28, 2018 explosions appearing in the skyline of a southern district of the Syrian capital Damascus, during regime strikes targeting the Islamic State group in the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk, and neighbouring districts.
In early April, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria as quickly as possible. But U.S. military leaders apparently prefer to remain in the region long enough to destroy ISIS. These mixed signals from the administration complicate efforts to shape overall U.S. strategy in Syria. Furthermore, the Turkish incursion into Northern Syria has prompted the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S. partner on the ground, withdraw from the fight against ISIS. And withdrawal of U.S. troops would likely have a negative effect on post-conflict stabilization efforts in Syria.
On May 8, Hudson convened a panel to discuss the implications of shifting U.S. military strategy in the region and Syria's long-term prospects moving forward. The panel consisted of Hudson Senior Fellows Michael Doran and Jonas Parello-Plesner; Mariam Jalabi, representative of the Syrian Opposition Coalition to the United Nations; and Mohammad Al Abdallah, Syrian human rights and democracy researcher and activist.
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