Trump decision plays into Putin's hands

What can one make of President Trump's abrupt, contradictory, unadvised decision to pull American troops out of Syria and abandon America's Kurdish allies to the whims of a sworn enemy, Turkey? Many Trump pronouncements in domestic and foreign policy are inexplicable, except to cite Trump's all-knowing "gut" instincts, but this one seems especially bewildering.

American military officers are left shocked and angered, knowing that they are abandoning Kurdish allies, who were primarily responsible for the wresting of its territorial "caliphate" from Islamic State (ISIS). Turkey has sent its troops pouring over the border into Syria, killing Kurds and further destabilizing that war-riven country.

To explain the unexplainable, it is helpful to ask "Who gains?" In this case, it seems obvious that this policy shift benefits not the United States, not Syrians, not Middle East stability; it benefits Russia under Vladimir Putin. Russia has long been a protector of the Assad regime in Syria, and Russia has been a historical defender of the Kurds. 

By abandoning America's brave Kurdish allies, Trump has opened the door to Russian domination of Asia Minor, Syria, and Lebanon, along with Turkey and Iran. It's hard to believe that Trump, although proudly ignorant of international alliances and diplomatic thinking, could not recognize that his decision turns over Syria and the whole region to Russia.

The seemingly outlandish theory that Trump must be a Russian plant posted to the American presidency as a way to bolster Russia's international power and prestige, gains some apparent logic through Trump's action in Syria. Why else would an American president hand over a highly strategic region to America's most hostile adversary?

President Obama made the mistake of threatening the Assad regime if it violated a "red line" in its war on its own citizens and then did nothing when Assad violated the line. But that error pales in comparison to Trump's crazy decision in Syria. Trump destroys American credibility and trustworthiness while handing over the region to Russia. How can this possibly be in America's best interests?