transporter
Well-Known Member
...as usual Trump looks like a buffoon.
U.S. Military Now Preparing to Leave as Many as 1,000 Troops in Syria
For those who are keeping score:
U.S. Military Now Preparing to Leave as Many as 1,000 Troops in Syria
WASHINGTON—The U.S. military is crafting plans to keep nearly 1,000 forces in Syria, U.S. officials said, a shift that comes three months after President Trump ordered a complete withdrawal and is far more than the White House originally intended.
Protracted administration talks with Turkey, European allies and U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters have so far failed to secure an agreement to create a safe zone in northeastern Syria, part of Mr. Trump’s plan for leaving Syria.
The U.S. now plans to keep working with Kurdish fighters in Syria, despite Turkish threats to cross the border and attack the Kurds, the U.S. officials said. The proposal could keep as many as 1,000 American forces, spread from the north of Syria to the south, they said.
Once the last bastion of Islamic State is seized, the U.S. expects to shift its focus toward withdrawing hundreds of American forces, in keeping with what Mr. Trump originally ordered.
The evolving discussions represent a decisive shift away from Mr. Trump’s December directive to get all Americans out of Syria, a country he recently said was little more than “sand and death.”
For those who are keeping score:
- In mid December, Trump--without consulting anyone--unilaterally declared victory over ISIS and called for the immediate withdrawal of all troops from Syria.
- Soon he changed his mind (no surprise there, huh?) and said we would keep 200 troops in Syria.
- Then it was 400.
- Now it is 1000.