U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he is withdrawing the 2,000 soldiers deployed in Syria, stating that the troops have already succeeded in stripping ISIS of its military strength. Trump made this announcement himself during a three-hour visit with first lady Melania Trump to the Al Asad Air Base in Baghdad recently.
Fox News quoted Trump as saying that the U.S. was never in a position to rehabilitate Syria and that all its efforts were only to get rid of ISIS military strongholds. He also added that the Turkish government has agreed that it would take care of what issues remained concerning ISIS after the US has pulled out. Trump mentioned that the task of nation-building should then be addressed by the other wealthy nations while reiterating adherence to his "America First" policy.
The first couple traveled to Baghdad on an 11-hour flight aboard Air Force One on late Christmas evening and did not bring any top officials with them. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a tweet that President Trump and the First Lady had visited to wish the troops a Merry Christmas and to thank them for the sacrifice and service.
The visit comes just a week after President Trump said that the ISIS has finally been defeated in Syria and that all soldiers and diplomats based on the ground should be sent home immediately. The troops had been in the country since 2015 as part of an agreement with the Kurdish-led troops to combat ISIS. Trump said that he wants the soldiers to get home immediately and that Iraq can still be utilized as a military base against ISIS if necessary.
As of this writing, outgoing Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has reportedly signed orders to pull all American soldiers out of Syria in the next few weeks. No further details were provided due to operational security concerns. It is also said that President Trump is also considering visiting the troops who are based at the war zone, although officials again declined to disclose information.
