WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump called Wednesday for a U.S. withdrawal from Syria over the apparent objections of military advisers and a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
The withdrawal of the more than 2,000 troops is based on Trump’s decision that the mission against ISIS is complete, a U.S. official told USA TODAY.
Military leaders, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, in recent weeks and months have spoken of the need for U.S. troops to remain in the eastern part of the country to help stabilize it and allow for peace negotiations to proceed.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., derided Trump’s decision to withdraw, likening it to those made by former President Barack Obama to announce ahead of time plans to reduce forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake,” Graham tweeted.
Lindsey Graham
✔@LindseyGrahamSC
Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake.
The Washington Post
✔@washingtonpost
Breaking: Trump administration plans to pull U.S. troops from Syria immediately, defense official says https://wapo.st/2Lrlrrg
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In a statement, Graham added Trump’s action would represent a “big win for ISIS, Iran, Bashar al Assad of Syria, and Russia.”
“I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region, and throughout the world,” Graham said.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted that the move was a "major blunder" made against the Pentagon's advice.
Marco Rubio
✔@marcorubio
The decision to pull out of Syria was made despite overwhelming military advice against it.
It is a major blunder. It it isn’t reversed it will haunt this administration & America for years to come.
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Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel, called it a “dangerous decision” that would destabilize the region, endanger Kurdish allies and embolden America’s enemies.
“We’re leaving the Kurds at risk, we’re creating a vacuum, and we’re doing it in a way that puts Israel at risk” because of Iran’s presence in Syria, Menendez said.
In Russia, a foreign ministry spokesperson applauded Trump’s decision, saying it could help create “a real prospect for a political solution” in Syria, according to TASS, the Russian state-owned news agency.
Trump's announcement of the withdrawal of troops should not surprise anybody since he has promised it, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The official refused to say why Trump apparently didn't inform high-ranking officials of his decision. The Pentagon is developing the timeline for the removal of troops.
The U.S. will continue to apply pressure on the Syrian government of Bashar Assad and his Iranian allies, the official said, but referred questions to the Pentagon about whether airstrikes will continue.
In statements issued later Wednesday, White House and Pentagon spokeswomen equivocated on the “defeat” of ISIS that Trump referred to.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday that the U.S. has "defeated the territorial caliphate."
"These victories over ISIS in Syria do not signal the end of the Global Coalition or its campaign," Sanders said in a statement. "We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign.”
She did not offer details on the “next phase” of the campaign against ISIS in her statement.
Dana White, the chief Pentagon spokeswoman, went even further, saying the fight against ISIS continues.
"The Coalition has liberated the ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over," White said in a statement. "We have started the process of returning U.S. troops home from Syria as we transition to the next phase of the campaign.
Yet in a tweet earlier on Wednesday morning, Trump declared victory.
“We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,” he wrote.
Despite Trump’s claims that the war against the Islamic State has been won, fighting by U.S.-led forces continues there.
Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump
We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.
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On Saturday, there were 47 airstrikes conducted by war planes against ISIS targets, U.S. Central Command announced early Wednesday. The bombs struck 20 ISIS fighting units, destroyed petroleum tanks, a tunnel, vehicle and a mortar-firing position.
Further, according to a recent report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, ISIS is far from obliterated. The Washington-based think tank estimates ISIS may still possess between 20,000 to 30,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
As recently as last week, officials said U.S. troops may need a longer stay to ensure that the military's accomplishments are "enduring."
"I think it's fair to say Americans will remain on the ground after the physical defeat of the caliphate, until we have the pieces in place to ensure that that defeat is enduring," said Brett McGurk, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declined earlier in December to put a timeline on withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, suggesting they would be needed for some time to establish conditions for a long-term peace agreement.
"We still have a long way to go and so I'd be reluctant to give a fixed time," Dunford said during a forum held by the Washington Post.
The U.S.-led coalition has been fighting ISIS in the countries since 2014.
U.S. troops, mostly special operations units, have been training local security forces in eastern Syria.
In September, Mattis told reporters that declaring victory and leaving Syria would be a mistake.
"I think that getting rid of the caliphate doesn't mean you then blindly say okay, we got rid of it, march out, and then wonder why the caliphate comes back and how many times have we seen – look at even Iraq where they're still on the hunt for them. And they're still trying to come back."
Reviewed by Idris Bashir
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December 19, 2018
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