400 US TROOPS TO STAY IN SYRIA—WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON— The United States will leave about 400 troops in two regions in Syria, a senior administration official said on Friday.
US media reported another policy reversal by Trump but the White House official said the decision was in line with a plan to form a multinational peacekeeping force that includes European allies.
“I’m not reversing course” on Syria, Trump said, arguing that the remaining troops would be “a very small, tiny fraction” of the forces who would ensure that Islamic State (IS) does not regroup.
Deployment
Trump agreed to leave 200 US troops posted in northeastern Syria and join about 800 to 1,500 troops committed by European allies to maintain a safe zone being negotiated, the official said.
Another 200 troops will remain at the US outpost of Tanf, near the border with Iraq and Jordan, the official said.
Until now, European allies have balked at providing troops unless they received a firm commitment that Washington was still committed to the region.
Marine General Joseph Dunford, chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been in talks with European counterparts about the safe zone in northeastern Syria.
But on Monday, US officials concluded that Europeans would not be willing to go it alone without some American participation, the official said.
Multinational force
The US and European forces will help keep the peace between Kurdish forces, who supported the fight against IS, and Turkey, which fears attacks from militant groups, the official said.
The safe zone also will serve as a bulwark against Iran’s influence, the official said.
The Tanf garrison, where the other 200 troops would remain, was set up when IS fighters controlled eastern Syria bordering Iraq.
But since the militants were driven out, Tanf has assumed a role as part of a US strategy to contain Iran’s military buildup.
“Yesterday I asked the president for a couple hundred [and] he said yes,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“It’s not a firm number, and the president understood that when we asked him,” the official said.
Turkey in the loop
Trump made the decision just before speaking to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan by phone on Thursday, and suggested to Erdogan that Turkish officials continue the talks when they meet in Washington on Friday.