Brett
McGurk, the US special envoy to the anti-Islamic State group coalition,
has resigned. His resignation wraps up a chaotic week that saw the
departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Donald Trump’s stunning
decision to pull troops from Syria. McGurk’s resignation, effective
December 31, comes on the heels of Mattis’s decision to quit the Trump
administration over key disagreements with the US president, notably the
Syria withdrawal. Just last week McGurk, a Barack Obama appointee
whom Trump kept on, said “nobody is declaring a mission accomplished” in
the battle against IS just days before the president blindsided
politicians and allies with his announcement of victory against the
jihadist movement. Trump who had postponed his holiday vacation as
failed budget talks triggered a partial US government shutdown again on
Saturday said “ISIS is largely defeated.” “When I became President,
ISIS was going wild,” the president tweeted. “Now ISIS is largely
defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to
easily take care of whatever remains. We’re coming home!” McGurk, 45,
was set to leave his position in February, but reportedly felt he could
no longer continue in the job after Trump’s declaration and on Friday
evening informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of his intention to wrap
up at year’s end. His conclusion mirrored that of Mattis, who was seen
as a voice of moderation in the mercurial Trump White House and quit
after telling the president he could not go along with the Syria
decision. McGurk has served as the US envoy to the Global Coalition to
Defeat ISIS, another acronym for the jihadist group, since 2015. He
also served as the deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and
Iran, and worked under Republican George W. Bush as a senior official on
Iraq and Afghanistan.US envoy in ISIS fight, Brett McGurk, resigns over US withdrawal from Syria
Brett
McGurk, the US special envoy to the anti-Islamic State group coalition,
has resigned. His resignation wraps up a chaotic week that saw the
departure of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Donald Trump’s stunning
decision to pull troops from Syria. McGurk’s resignation, effective
December 31, comes on the heels of Mattis’s decision to quit the Trump
administration over key disagreements with the US president, notably the
Syria withdrawal. Just last week McGurk, a Barack Obama appointee
whom Trump kept on, said “nobody is declaring a mission accomplished” in
the battle against IS just days before the president blindsided
politicians and allies with his announcement of victory against the
jihadist movement. Trump who had postponed his holiday vacation as
failed budget talks triggered a partial US government shutdown again on
Saturday said “ISIS is largely defeated.” “When I became President,
ISIS was going wild,” the president tweeted. “Now ISIS is largely
defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to
easily take care of whatever remains. We’re coming home!” McGurk, 45,
was set to leave his position in February, but reportedly felt he could
no longer continue in the job after Trump’s declaration and on Friday
evening informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of his intention to wrap
up at year’s end. His conclusion mirrored that of Mattis, who was seen
as a voice of moderation in the mercurial Trump White House and quit
after telling the president he could not go along with the Syria
decision. McGurk has served as the US envoy to the Global Coalition to
Defeat ISIS, another acronym for the jihadist group, since 2015. He
also served as the deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and
Iran, and worked under Republican George W. Bush as a senior official on
Iraq and Afghanistan.
