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Fewer Republicans approve of party's plan for Syria: Poll

When Terry Brien, 64, reads about US troops pulling out of northern Syria, the Republican data manager from Colorado seethes at "one of the biggest mistakes that we've made in a very long time" in the Middle East.
Brien, an army and air force veteran, said the withdrawal, which opened the way for a Turkish offensive that displaced thousands of people and led to the escape of some fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group, contributed to his recent lack of faith in his party's ability to conduct foreign policy.
It is a feeling that appears to be growing among the Republican rank and file this year.
According to an October 18-22 Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll, only about half of all Republicans - 54 percent - said their party has a better plan than Democrats, independents or others for dealing with Syria. That is down 12 points from a similar poll that ran in April.
At the same time, 65 percent of Republicans said their party had the better plan for managing the US' so-called "War on Terror", down 10 points from the April poll.
US President Donald Trump, who announced the withdrawal after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has defended his decision as part of an effort to draw down military operations overseas "where our great military functions as a policing operation to the benefit of people who don't even like the USA".
Yet the national online poll of 4,082 adults in the US found that 51 percent of its population felt that the country is better off "with US military forces stationed in the Middle East", while 29 percent did not.
More people seemed to want the US to become involved in international peacekeeping than several years ago.
Thirty-five percent of adults strongly agreed in the poll that "America is NOT the world's policeman". That is down 12 points overall from a similar poll that ran in 2013.
The poll also showed that 75 percent of Republicans approved of the way that Trump was dealing with the ISIL, which is down by about eight points from April.
Brien, who took the poll, said his criticism of the Republican Party's ability to conduct foreign policy is grounded in his general disapproval of Trump.
Unlike former Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush, Brien said he thinks Trump simply lacks the personal skills needed to work with global neighbours of the US to achieve common goals.
"Trump just seems to be out of his depth and out of touch on everything," Brien said. "He doesn't seem to understand why he shouldn't try to make money off his position of president."
When the poll asked which political party has a better plan for handling the "War on Terror", Brien answered "none".
Ann Dahlheim, 67, a Republican who lives outside of Washington DC, said she thought independents were better than anyone right now at leading the country.
"Republicans and Democrats can't agree on anything, much to my disgust," Dahlheim said. "We need some fresh new ideas."
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online, in English, throughout the US. It has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about three percentage points.
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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