Pompeo will travel to the Middle East next week in an attempt to smooth fears following widespread confusion over Trump's intentions in Syria.
The junket, planned from January 8-15, will see Pompeo in Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman. Iraq is said to be on the list, although no confirmation has been made by the state department due to security concerns, according to Politico.
Announced on Friday, the hastily-organized tour follows deep uncertainty among US allies in the region after a sudden Trump avowal for a swift military troop withdrawal from Syria was followed by another conflicting declaration by the president that the process would be “slow” and “careful.”
Pompeo's visit will coincide with rising political opposition on Capitol Hill — particularly within the newly-Democratic House of Representatives — to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Yemen at the hands of Saudi Arabia and a handful of other Middle Eastern states.
Pompeo will also visit Israel and Turkey, following in the footsteps of Trump national security adviser John Bolton, who will arrive in the area Friday. Bolton is…
