U.S. to leave Syria in way that defeats Daesh: Bolton
National security adviser says military will ensure Kurds are protected
The U.S. will withdraw troops from northeastern Syria in a way that ensures Daesh is defeated for good, and will stay until Turkey agrees not to go after the Kurds, the U.S. national security adviser said on Sunday.
John Bolton spent the day in Israel assuring allies that Donald Trump is committed to their protection, weeks after the U.S. president announced he was pulling out of Syria and declaring that the jihadist group had been defeated.
“We’re going to be discussing the president’s decision to withdraw, but to do so from northeast Syria in a way that makes sure that ISIS is defeated and is not able to revive itself and become a threat again,” Bolton said late Sunday during an appearance in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He said the U.S. would “make sure that the defence of Israel and our other friends in the region is absolutely assured.”
Earlier, Bolton told reporters that “we don’t think the Turks ought to undertake military action that’s not fully co-ordinated with and agreed to by the United States.”
His comments came ahead of a meeting this week in Turkey with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey needs to meet “the president’s requirement that the Syrian opposition forces that have fought with us are not endangered,” he said.
Two weeks ago, after Trump announced the withdrawal plan, Turkey’s military began deploying hundreds of vehicles and troops in areas surrounding the northwestern Syrian town of Manbij that Ankara has long pushed the U.S. to clear of Kurdish militant groups.
Turkey has repeatedly vowed to capture Manbij and to extend its offensive against the Kurds eastward, but U.S. troops were a major obstacle.
Bolton’s visit follows a backlash from U.S. lawmakers and other nations that the Kurds’ fate was left in doubt by Trump’s surprise announcement in December that he would quickly withdraw. Trump has since indicated the withdrawal would be slower than initially suggested, although Bolton on Sunday rejected any specific timetable.
“This is a cause-and-effect mission,” he said.
“Timetables or the timing of the withdrawal occurs as a result of the fulfilment of the conditions and the establishment of the circumstances that we want to see. And once that’s done, then you talk about a timetable.”
Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. is “going to be removing our troops,” but added in remarks to reporters at the White House that “I never said we’re doing it quickly.”
“We’re pulling out of Syria, but we’re doing it and we won’t be finally pulled out until ISIS is gone,” Trump added. On Dec. 19, he tweeted, “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump presidency.” On Dec. 31, he said the U.S. was “slowly” sending the troops home.
A spokesperson for Turkey’s president said the country is targeting terrorist groups in Syria, not the Kurds.