Matthew Petti, in Reason magazine reason.com/2021/01/10/why… asks the sensible question "Why is America still in Syria?", but falsely stated that "Trump brought chaos to a region already on the brink". While I am very disappointed in Trump's failure to disentangle, it is ludicrous 
2/ to blame Trump admin for chaos initiated under Obama regime. In late 2016, ISIS (grey) controlled vast swathes of Iraq and Syria, while AlQaeda and allies controlled northwest and southwest Syria. Syria's largest city, Aleppo, partly controlled by AlQaeda.
3/ Trump did not "bring chaos" to Syria. It was Obama admin which tried to carry out regime change in Syria, in a program in which it out-sourced "ground game", recklessly arming jihadis and militants until both AlQaeda and ISIS were formidable forces.
4/ ISIS first got a foothold in outlaw regions of northeast Syria controlled by US-backed "opposition" jihadis, quickly emerging as the most powerful and ruthless force among opposition allied with US. They advanced from Syria into Sunni Iraq in early 2014, eventually
5/ approaching and threatening Baghdad itself, until they were stopped by Qasem Soleimani's organization of Shia militias and military to stop ISIS (while Obama admin dithered).
6/ Trump could have - and should have - done much better in disengaging from Syria, but unfortunately US continued Obama policy of supporting AlQaeda faction in Idlib and in brutal economic warfare against Syrian govt and people.
7/ new Biden administration appears bent on inflicting even more brutal economic and even military warfare on Syria.
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