In the view of many Washington policymakers, Syria is like the Hotel California: You can check out, but never leave. President-elect Donald Trump should remedy his first-term mistake and withdraw American troops from Syria. 

Bashar al-Assad, whom successive American administrations sought to oust as Syria’s president, has been swept away with little fight. The Islamic State, or ISIS, the other target of American military action, remains but a bad memory. Washington’s adversaries—especially Russia and Iran—suffered a major geopolitical defeat. There no longer is any excuse for U.S. involvement in Syria. 

The Arab Spring hit Syria in 2011 as demonstrations broke out against Assad, who responded violently, yielding a multi-sided civil war. Although Syria was never a serious American security interest, the Obama administration leaped into the fray, assuming that it could micro-manage a brutal, multi-sided civil war. 

Washington sought to oust Assad, discouraging negotiation. Yet its efforts to support moderates foundered. A half-billion-dollar Pentagon program delivered just four or five fighters in the field. The CIA spent a billion dollars with somewhat better results, but extremists ended up dominating the fight, causing U.S. officials to limit aid. According to the New York Times, “the equipment to be provided to the rebel groups would not include antitank rockets or other high-end equipment that could eventually cause serious damage if they fall into the hands of groups that commit acts of terrorism against the United States or its allies.”