Just a reminder to long time readers that we have long said the President is a reluctant warrior when it comes to foreign policy and not the war monger the media presented him as during the campaign.
The move in Syria is in harmony with his distaste for war and sending our military into harms way. He does not want conflict and his instinct is to avoid it.
Now think of his image in the media and then think of recent events like Iran shooting down the drone. He stopped retaliatory action. When Iran attacked the Saudi oil fields, what action did he take? Look at how he apologies for North Korea’s shooting rockets.
The bottom line is he does not want conflict. The President talks tough and has this warrior image, but it is not in his DNA to do anything.
That is separate from his other deep belief that other countries should be paying their fair share of defense and military costs. He believes in having a military so strong that no one would dare challenge us, but if we are defending you, then pay your share.
Thus the decision in Syria to get out. The variable here, as noted yesterday is the Kurds. Loyal fighters with us in the middle east, leaving them to be slaughtered is not defendable.
You can be for peace and want to avoid conflict and never send a soldier into a situation that does not involve our security, but when you commit to someone and they to you, then you must meet your obligation.