Trump Likely To Keep American Troops In Syria For Now: Reports
Fakhir Rizvi Published April 05, 2018 | 10:19 PM
Days after indicating that US troops would be withdrawn soon from Syria, President Trump has agreed to keep them in the war-torn country for now after facing pressure from his national security adviser, media reports said on Thursday.
WASHINGTON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Apr, 2018 ) :Days after indicating that US troops would be withdrawn soon from Syria, President Trump has agreed to keep them in the war-torn country for now after facing pressure from his national security adviser, media reports said on Thursday.
At an event last week, President Trump stated that he expected the US troops to leave Syria "soon", where the country had kept its troops from long with the goal of eventually ousting the government of Syria President Bashar Asad.
His comments were in contrast to the position taken by his top military and State Department officials made the same day at a separate event where they said that the US troops in Syria were fighting ISIS and that the mission there was not over and going to be completed.
According to a CNN report, President Trump had a meeting with his national security adviser on Tuesday to discuss the future of American troops in Syria and was warned by CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Gen.
Joseph Dunford, who reportedly said that such a decision would be a mistake. A media report, quoting CNN said that President Trump was annoyed by the pushback from his advisers, but agreed to leave the American troops in the country for the time being.
But, he reportedly stressed that troops would not stay beyond the defeat of ISIS and that he has already told the Pentagon to prepare for withdrawal. There are currently about 2000 US troops in Syria which is fighting the ISIS in the country and in neighboring Iraq.
Trump reportedly agreed at the meeting with his national security advisers that US troops could still be kept in the country to train local forces. According to reports, Defense Secretary James Mattis told the president that while the battle to eradicate ISIS from the region was nearly completed, withdrawing troops would risk reemergence of the militant group.
Mattis also stated that the Pentagon was already reducing the number of troops in Syria but did not give any timeframe for a complete pullout.
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From World
-
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - collated
2 minutes ago -
PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans scores
2 minutes ago -
Sudanese filmmakers shine light on war's 'silent problems'
2 minutes ago -
NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Cap helmets in games
7 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga table
7 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A result
7 hours ago
-
Football: German Bundesliga results
7 hours ago -
US troops to leave Chad in second African state withdrawal
7 hours ago -
Plastics pollution may be solved without production cap: Canada minister
7 hours ago -
Biden stalls on menthol cigarette ban fearing Black vote backlash
7 hours ago -
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
7 hours ago -
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
7 hours ago