Donald Trump's Surprise Visit to Iraq: America Will Not Be the World's Police

On Wednesday, January 5, the President of the United States made an unannounced visit to Iraq to celebrate Christmas with American soldiers. During this visit, Donald Trump stated that the United States cannot continue to be the world's police. He defended his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria, asserting that there would be no delays in this regard. According to AFP, during his visit to the Al Asad Airbase in western Iraq, Trump emphasized that the United States has been fighting for other countries for a long time. He said, 'It is not fair that all the burden of responsibility falls on us. We do not want to allow others to take advantage of us and use our unparalleled military to protect themselves.' This was Trump's first visit to a war zone during his two years in the White House and just days after announcing the withdrawal of American troops from Syria. According to Reuters, the President's special plane landed at Al Asad Airbase in western Baghdad on Wednesday evening, accompanied by Melania Trump, a small group of aides, secret service agents, and several journalists. He is expected to stay in Iraq for three hours. Reuters notes that Trump has faced criticism from the military for not visiting American troops since he took office in January 2017, especially after he canceled a visit to a World War I cemetery in France last month due to rain. Trump’s visit to Iraq follows in the footsteps of former Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama, who also made unannounced trips to the country. Despite a decrease in violence in Iraq due to the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) last year, American forces are still training and advising Iraqi troops to combat militia groups. The US President is also scheduled to meet with American troops at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on his return to the United States. Reuters adds that Trump is seeking positive attention after several days of crisis over his decisions regarding the withdrawal of troops from Syria, a 50% reduction of 14,000 American soldiers in Afghanistan, and pressure on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to leave his post two months earlier than scheduled. Many Republican and Democratic lawmakers have strongly criticized the President's decision to withdraw 2,000 American soldiers from Syria. During his stop in Iraq, he defended his decision, stating that this action was made possible due to the defeat of ISIS militants. Critics of Trump argue that the fight against this group is not over and that the US action will frustrate Washington's allies. The US military states that 5,200 American soldiers are currently in Iraq, focusing primarily on training and advising Iraqi forces to ensure that ISIS does not return to the scene.