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SEA ISLAND, Georgia — John Kelly, the former White House chief of staff, is calling President Trump’s decision to remove American troops from northern Syria a “catastrophically bad idea” that is harming U.S. national security and boosting Russia’s influence in the Middle East.
Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general, counseled Trump against pulling the military out of Syria, emphasizing to the president that the alliance with Kurdish fighters was instrumental in defeating the Islamic State with minimal American casualties. Kelly, Trump’s second chief of staff until resigning late last year, understands that the president was honoring his campaign promise to end “endless wars.” But he said Trump’s policy could backfire, with devastating repercussions for the homeland.