Graham says Trump’s Syria withdrawal ‘set in motion enthusiasm’ by ISIS

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Wednesday that President Trump’s announced withdrawal from Syria has emboldened the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) after the terrorist group took credit for a suicide bombing that killed American troops.

“My concern by the statements made by President Trump is that you have set in motion enthusiasm by the enemy we’re fighting,” Graham said while chairing an unrelated Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday. “So I would hope the president would look long and hard of where he’s headed in Syria.”

{mosads}Earlier Wednesday, the ISIS took credit for a suicide bombing at a restaurant in a busy market area in the northern Syrian town of Manbij.

The U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS confirmed U.S. troops were killed in the attack, but did not say how many.

The attack comes roughly a month after Trump announced he ordered a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria. At the time, he claimed ISIS was defeated and said troops were coming home “now.”

Trump and the administration later walked that back, saying the withdrawal would happen more slowly and be tailored to conditions on the ground.

Graham, who is typically a Trump ally, was among the most vocal critics of Trump’s decision to withdraw. Graham warned that he was making an “Obama-like mistake,” an apparent reference to the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq.

Graham later said he felt better about Trump’s Syria plans after a White House meeting, saying “the president understands the need to finish the job.”

But on Wednesday, Graham again compared the situation in Syria to Iraq

“We saw this in Iraq. And I’m now seeing it in Syria,” he said.

Graham said U.S. troops gave the people at the restaurant “the space” to be there and that the United States needs to remain committed to helping those who want to fight ISIS.

“Every American wants our troops to come home, but I now think all of us want to make sure that when they do come home, we’re safe,” he said. “I know people are frustrated. But we’re never going to be safe here unless we’re willing to help people over there who will stand against this radical ideology.”

“So to those who lost their lives today in Syria, you were defending America, in my view,” he added later. “To those in Syria who are trying to work together, you’re providing the best and only hope to your country. I hope the president will look long and hard about what we’re doing in Syria.”