Iraq is far less secure overall today, than when we had full scale CENTCOM operations conducted from the Al Fah Palace in Baghdad, and Super Bases in Iraq.
As well, this was symbolic to ISIS, as their last murderous strongholds are largely in the Anbar Province of Iraq, of which Al Assad Air Base is the gatekeeper.
In visiting Al Assad, Trump just visited a location which is close to remaining ISIS strongholds! THIS IS PLAIN GUTSY! And it sends a message to ISIS, and potentially to the regional leaders to who is at the helm!
There may well be a bigger context with this visit than what most are seeing.
While hard to believe, **ISIS overran Al Assad Air Base under our Marxist and TRUE Russian collaborator Hussein 0!**
PRESIDENT TRUMPS VISIT TO AL ASSAD AIR BASE, IS AN EXCLAMATION POINT AND SYMBOLIC OF WHAT HE HAS DONE TO ISIS!
While there are other ISIS strongholds north of the Euphrates and north of Al Assad Air Base, **there is a wadi which extends in a general westerly direction from Al Assad Air Base, all the way to Jordan. It is from locations adjacent to, and inside this wadi, with its karst topography, caves, tunnels, box canyons, and slot canyons, from which ISIS hides out. I believe, President Trump just showed them he is not afraid, and his forces are coming after them. And he did it just after they reportedly slaughtered more than 1300 hostages, refugees, and aid workers.
Add to this American symbology, real Iranian hegimonic activity in the region, and Russian and Syrian forces at the Iraqi border, this was gutsy! Most presidents would probably act according to the advice I am sure he received, and not visit under these conditions.
Of course, being that his visit was a success, the mass media and press is highly unlikely to say anything about how dangerous this was, unless to criticize it for being foolish.
This is a truly dangerous area, and this visit was again GUTSY!
Then there is Serbian sniper fire...