President Trump made a grave mistake by creating an environment where Defense Secretary James Mattis could no longer be effective in his job. 

Pulling our troops out of Syria is the straw that broke the camel’s back. US troops in Syria kept that country in check. Without them, there is going to be a void that will be filled with more Russian and Iranian influence. It will become a breeding ground for terrorism. Also, Syria’s Assad will be able to crush the opposition any way he wants, including using chemical weapons. 

And now there is talk of Trump withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan in the near future. This would be another global blunder by Trump.

Russian leaders love it that Mattis is resigning from his position. They already have a port in Syria for use by their navy. Mattis had decades of experience in knowing how to work with foreign countries to build a peaceful coalition. Trump is too impatient for these types of strategies that work. 

The US military will sorely miss the leadership of Gen. Mattis. Trump will try to replace him with a defense secretary that is more of a yes man and who follows Trump’s erratic foreign policies.

William McKee

Flowery Branch