Trump wants military to make plans to leave

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is reported to have instructed the US military to draw up plans for leaving Syria, according to a news report.

Trump has been hinting the same for days, and according to The Washington Post, he met with military commanders on Tuesday to discuss the future of the mission. However, the report said no dates have been set and the pull-out of the 2,000 troops in Syria will not be complete — some will stay back for anti-islamic State operations and to train local forces for securing areas liberated from the terror group, the Post reported citing unidentified officials.

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders followed up with a statement, saying the “military mission to eradicate ISIS in Syria is coming to a rapid end, with ISIS being almost completely destroyed”.

However, she did not say if Trump had asked for a withdrawal plan. She added, instead, that the US remains committed to eliminating “the small” IS presence left and “will continue to consult with our allies and friends regarding future plans”.

While Trump has seemed keen to leave Syria, his military leaders and diplomats have stressed that the task is not over yet. “A lot of very good military progress has been made over the last couple of years, but the hard part, I think, is in front of us,” said Gen Joseph L Votel, head of US Central Command, at a think tank on Tuesday.