Trump Says He Will 'Definitely Create Safe Zone' for Syria

The President of the United States has emphasized that he will 'definitely' create a 'safe zone' to support Syrian war refugees. Donald Trump stated in an interview with ABC News on January 26 that 'I will definitely create a safe area for the people in Syria.' He added, 'In my opinion, Europe made a big mistake by allowing millions of people to move to Germany and other countries.' The U.S. President mentioned that he does not want such a situation to happen in his country. According to drafts and documents reviewed by some news outlets like Reuters and Christian Science Monitor, Mr. Trump will ask the Department of Defense and the State Department to present a plan aimed at creating a 'safe zone' for Syria. Reports indicate that the draft of this executive order states, 'The State Department, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, is required to prepare a plan for establishing a safe zone in Syria and surrounding areas for Syrian citizens displaced by the war within 90 days of this order.' The purpose of this zone is described as 'settling in a safe area, awaiting return to their place of residence or obtaining permission to reside in a third country.' According to these media, such a plan may lead to U.S. military presence in Syria, although the execution details are still unclear. As Reuters reports, the draft of this executive order has not yet been signed by the U.S. President. Barack Obama, the former President of the United States, did not create such a zone in Syrian territory. Mr. Obama publicly avoided direct and extensive ground involvement in the war-torn region of Syria. A White House spokesperson during Obama's administration stated that creating safe zones is currently not a practical option. John Kerry, the then Secretary of State, also mentioned last winter that creating a safe zone in northern Syria would require 15,000 to 30,000 ground troops. Nevertheless, the idea of establishing a safe zone was also raised by some of Trump's electoral rivals. For instance, during a debate between Mike Pence, the current Vice President - then the Republican nominee's running mate - and Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate, both sides defended the idea of creating a safe zone within Syrian territory. Reuters and the Associated Press report that the current draft still does not clarify whether any other plans include the creation of a 'safe zone,' where exactly such a zone or zones would be established, and who would defend its security. Currently, millions of Syrian refugees are present in neighboring countries, such as Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, in camps or residential areas. The Turkish government was among those that, during Obama's presidency, tried to convince the U.S. to establish a no-fly zone over Syria, along the Turkish border, which could potentially serve the purpose of creating a safe zone. Reports suggest that the executive order related to the safe zone plan may be part of the U.S. President's executive order regarding the temporary suspension of refugee admissions or the temporary suspension of visa issuance for citizens of countries like Iran.