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Is the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Premature?
(Jewish Insider) Dore Gold - After the U.S. announced it was withdrawing from Syria, Dore Gold, former director general of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: "Western intervention on the ground in the Middle East has produced two results that need to be avoided. The first is a quagmire and endless war. But the second is that premature withdrawal emboldens the forces of jihad that will claim the West is weak. This latter problem arose when the Soviets left Afghanistan and al-Qaeda was born. It was seen when Israel withdrew from Gaza and Hamas took over. This could give ISIS a new lease on life. It could also give Iran the sense that it is winning on the battlefield, regardless of the sanctions it faces." "A careful balancing act is needed. Only the U.S. can calibrate the necessary mix of force and diplomacy that will be needed, since the lives of American soldiers are involved. But Israel will be there to the extent that its assistance is sought."