Former Navy SEAL and Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw criticizes Trump's Syria withdraw

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Former Navy SEAL and Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw criticizes Trump's Syria withdrawal
By: Andrew Blake - The Washington Times - 10-12-19
RE: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news...ms-trumps-wit/

'We should not be making this decision so abruptly'

President Trump’s recent sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria was called into question Saturday by a former Navy SEAL turned congressman.

Rep. Crenshaw took to Twitter to compare conditions in northern Syria before and after the Trump administration abruptly withdrew U.S. forces from the region this week.

“Situation when we were there: relative peace,” the Texas Republican tweeted.

The congressman then listed a series of developments that have taken place in the region since the U.S. withdrawal, such as Islamic State fighters escaping from confinement and ISIS setting off a car bomb.

“That’s just day one,” Mr. Crenshaw tweeted. “Which scenario looks more like an endless war?”

The White House announced the withdrawal from Syria late last Sunday, catching members of Congress and U.S. allies off guard and causing Mr. Trump to face criticism from several fellow Republicans, including Mr. Crenshaw.

“We should not be making this decision so abruptly,” Mr. Crenshaw tweeted earlier this week, referring to the withdrawal in a subsequent tweet as a “foreign policy blunder.”

Other members of the GOP to raise related concerns this week include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, two of Mr. Trump’s staunchest defenders on Capitol Hill.

“American interests are best served by American leadership, not by retreat or withdrawal,” said Mr. McConnell.

“I think he’s putting the nation at risk, and I think he’s putting his presidency at risk,” said Mr. Graham.

Mr. Crenshaw, 35, served 10 years as a Navy SEAL, including five tours of duty, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He retired from the military in 2016 and announced his candidacy for Congress the following November.