Former President Barack Obama's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Marty Dempsey criticized President Donald Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria.
To back up his point, Dempsey paraphrased in a tweet the words of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill: "There's only one thing worse than fighting with allies, that is fighting without them."
He posted on Twitter on Friday that the United States adjusts the number and location of our nation's military forces that are located overseas all the time. However, he said that it would be "extremely dangerous" for the United States to cause our allies to doubt our commitments to them.
“There’s only one thing worse than fighting with allies, that is fighting without them” (Churchill). We adjust the number and location of military forces overseas all the time. But we must never cause our allies to doubt our commitments to them. That would be extremely dangerous.
— GEN(R) Martin E. Dempsey (@Martin_Dempsey) December 21, 2018
This wasn't the first time Dempsey offered his opinion on Trump's recent decision to pull troops out of Syria. On Thursday, the former Joint Chiefs of Staff said that there are lots of implications when it comes to Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, the Kurds, Israel, Russia and Iran.
Dempsey posted on Twitter that individual actions only make sense if they're done as part of an integrated strategy.
"And only if closely coordinated with those allies who have been marching alongside us," he wrote on Twitter. "Strategy is a team sport."
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the Pentagon was given an order to begin preparing to pull roughly 2,000 American troops out of Syria. The troops had been fighting alongside the Kurdish militia known as Syrian Democratic Forces. Since 2014, the United States's main target in Syria has been the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
"We've been fighting for a long time in Syria," Trump said on Thursday. "I've been president for almost two years, and we've really stepped it up and we have won against ISIS. We've beaten them, and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land, and now it's time for our troops to come back home."
Trump added that it makes him sad to write letters or contact parents and families of military members who were killed overseas. However, he said those who died were looking down proudly on the victory against ISIS.
His announcement was met with a mix of sentiments. Dempsey wasn't alone in his criticism of the decision. Senator Lindsey Graham posted his opinion on Twitter on Thursday, calling the withdrawal of American troops a "huge Obama-like mistake."
On Friday, Graham called for Congress to hold hearings on the withdrawal decision in Syria to understand its implications for America's national security. He added that the Pentagon should discuss the fate of America's Kurdish allies and the likelihood that membership in ISIS could rise.
"As to the status of our Kurdish allies, the Administration has yet to tell the American people what happens to the Kurds—who fought so hard for us—when we leave," Graham posted on Twitter. "Is there a plan to protect our allies post-withdrawal?"
It is imperative Congress hold hearings on withdrawal decision in Syria -- and potentially Afghanistan -- to understand implications to our national security.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 21, 2018
During a press conference, Graham said Defense Secretary James Mattis nor Secretary of State Mike Pompeo support Trump's decision to leave, calling it not the right time. On Thursday, Mattis resigned from his position, effective at the end of February.
Mattis explained that he felt stepping down was the best decision, and that Trump had a right to a defense secretary whose views were better aligned with the president's views.
Dempsey served as Obama's Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2011 until 2015.
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