Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss what President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to withdraw US troops from Syria means for that country, ISIS, and Iran. After all, nobody — including leading US officials and America’s allies — really wants Trump to do this. For Elsewhere, the crew kicks off a four-part series on how musicians around the world are using their songs to illuminate serious issues in their countries. This week, they discuss a K-pop song that highlights South Korea’s growing mental health crisis. Zack compares a South Korean song to Linkin Park, Jenn blasts Obama, and Alex suggests a slogan for Trump. References: Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. This BBC piece gives a good overview on Obama’s Syria strategy. The Trump administration said it would stay in Syria to keep Iran out. Oops. You can listen to the full clip of Pompeo’s remarks here. Vox made a video about the Kurds and their efforts to create their own state. As Zack noted, Turkey has attacked the Kurds in Syria before. It appears Turkey’s president told Trump that his country would defeat ISIS. Vox has Mattis’s resignation letter. Without US long-term protection, the Kurds have asked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime for help. Jenn said Obama lost Syria, an argument many experts make. Many experts, including US officials and allies, say the withdrawal is a mistake. Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk said soon before the withdrawal decision that the US would stay in Syria for the foreseeable future. The US military was in Syria without any real congressional authorization. Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu asked Trump for a slow withdrawal from Syria. Jenn recalls Trump blaming Obama for his withdrawal from Iraq, thereby giving ISIS the space to grow in power. Trump clearly views Syria as a land of “sand and death.” The Suga song we played, “The Last 마지막” Check on Vox’s Netflix show, which has an entire episode dedicated to explaining K-pop. K-Pop stars are increasingly singing and talking about mental health. But it’s still unusual. Most K-Pop is sanitized after years of censorship. It’s fun, fluffy, romantic but chaste stuff, not things like, “I was afraid of people, so I hid in the bathroom and stared at myself.”   Vox has all you need to know about BTS, the world’s chart-topping K-pop band. Suicide ranks as the top cause of death among those ages 10 to 39 in South Korea. 

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