The President of United States of America, President Donald , Trump been alleged to have ordered for the immediate and gradual withdrawal of US troops from Syria, saying they have already won the war against ISIS.
According to a report, the withdrawal of over 2,000 officers and men from Syria signals the end of the war in Syria as President Trump declares victory over Islamic State militants in #Syria.
Also the report by Associated Press suggests that the planned pullout has begun and troops will begin leaving as soon as possible. An official was quoted to have said this.
President Donald Trump said American forces were no longer needed in a country torn apart by long-running civil war.
AP also reported that Trump has said since he was a presidential candidate that he wanted to bring back troops from the Middle East. But officials have said in recent weeks that pockets of IS militants remain. U.S. policy has been that American forces would stay in place until the extremists were eradicated.
Trump on Wednesday had taken to his twitter handle, saying: “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.”
Criticism has followed, since his tweet and the White House Statement on the abrupt withdrawal of troops from Syria, one of the people that has criticized the move is Congress man Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla who said a full and rapid removal of troops would be a “grave error with broader implications” beyond the fight against IS.
Also, responding to the reports, Pentagon spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a statement that “at this time, we continue to work by, with and through our partners in the region.” he said.
The U.S. first launched airstrikes against IS fighters in Syria in 2014. In the years that followed, the U.S. began partnering with Syrian ground forces to fight the extremists.
A statement by the White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the United States had defeated the Islamic State’s “territorial caliphate.”
“We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign. The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary,” she said.
This statement is also coming a day after Russia, Iran and Turkey held a meeting to discuss the future of Syria, which many have said could be the reason Trump is pulling the US troops, so as Russia can have their way in Syria.