The Donald Trump administration’s confirmation that the US military has begun pulling equipment out of Syria has highlighted the Pentagon’s tensions with hawks such as national security adviser John Bolton, current and former defense officials told Al-Monitor.
Why it matters: Bolton’s insistence that the United States still stop the re-emergence of the Islamic State and Iranian-backed proxies in Syria could frustrate military planners trying to interpret Trump’s withdrawal order. The circumstances could prove especially difficult, experts say, as Washington faces a partial government shutdown with acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan only 10 days into his new job.
