The situation in Syria has turned into a geopolitical mess that highlights just how badly the Biden administration’s foreign policy has failed. General Mazloum Abdi of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has issued dire warnings about the consequences of Turkey’s aggressive attacks on America’s Kurdish allies. Yet, instead of leading, Biden’s team is fumbling, issuing vague platitudes about “humanitarian law” while the region teeters on the edge of chaos.
The SDF, America’s most reliable partner in the fight against ISIS, is currently tasked with guarding 45,000 ISIS militants and their families. But Turkish-backed forces and military strikes are forcing Kurdish fighters to abandon their posts, creating a dangerous power vacuum. As General Mazloum bluntly put it, “This situation has paralyzed our counterterror operation.” Half the guards at critical ISIS prisons like the one in Raqqa have already withdrawn, leaving these facilities vulnerable. If the SDF is forced to fully retreat, ISIS will resurface, and the consequences will be catastrophic.
General Erik Kurilla of U.S. Central Command made it clear: “We will not allow ISIS to reconstitute and take advantage of the current situation in Syria.” Yet, while military leaders like Kurilla talk tough, the Biden administration seems more concerned with appeasing Turkey’s President Erdogan than standing firm with America’s Kurdish allies. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s meetings with Erdogan amounted to little more than empty rhetoric about “respecting human rights” and “protecting civilians.” Meanwhile, the SDF faces 80 Turkish drone attacks a day.
The irony here is rich. Democrats, who love lecturing the world about “democracy” and “equity,” are standing by while one of America’s strongest allies in the fight against terrorism is under siege. If Biden’s team doesn’t step up, the U.S. risks abandoning the very people who’ve been doing the heavy lifting against ISIS. This is the same administration that couldn’t manage an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan—so expecting competence in Syria might be asking too much.
General Mazloum is right to warn that a U.S. withdrawal from Syria would create a vacuum. And when vacuums form in the Middle East, terrorists fill them. A resurgent ISIS would unite with other extremist factions, plunging Syria into another bloody civil war. The Biden administration’s refusal to act decisively risks repeating the same mistakes that led to the rise of ISIS in the first place.
Conservatives understand the stakes. America’s security depends on strength, leadership, and supporting our allies. The Biden administration, however, seems more interested in appeasing adversaries than defending friends. While Democrats preach globalism and moral superiority, they leave America weaker and the world more dangerous. It’s time for real leadership—the kind that puts America first and doesn’t leave our allies to fend for themselves.
