Behold the “great and unmatched wisdom” of President Donald Trump. On October 6th he announced that American troops would withdraw from northernmost Syria, all but endorsing a Turkish offensive against America’s Kurdish allies in the region. He did not warn the Kurds, who had fought bravely against the jihadists of Islamic State (is). It was time to let others, such as Russia and Iran, “figure the situation out”, he said. But hours later, after even his Republican colleagues objected, Mr Trump stepped back. Turkey, he warned, should not do anything that he considers “off limits”. Ignoring him, Turkish forces launched a campaign on October 9th that threatens not only to revive is, but also to condemn Syria to yet another cycle of slaughter.
The conflicting signals, sent by Mr Trump in a series of incoherent tweets, have confused everyone. But they should surprise no one. This is what American diplomacy looks like in the Trump era. When the president’s closest advisers are not chasing up conspiracy theories in Ukraine (see Briefing), or defying the constitution by refusing to testify to Congress (see article), they are coping with a commander-in-chief who, according to his own former secretary of state, “is pretty undisciplined, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t read briefing reports, doesn’t like to get into the details of a lot of things, but rather just kind of says: ‘This is what I believe.’” That is no way to make policy anywhere in the world, least of all the Middle East.