Trump’s Syria move rocks allies
● Fight against jihadists not f inished, UK and France warn after announcement of US withdrawal
US allies were stunned on Thursday after President Donald Trump declared victory over Islamic State (IS) in Syria and abruptly ordered the withdrawal of US ground troops from the country.
Trump defended his decision, saying he was fulfilling a promise from his presidential campaign.
The decision runs counter to long-established US policy for Syria and the region.
It blindsided legislators, the Pentagon and international allies alike.
Britain and France warned that the fight against jihadists in Syria was not finished.
Trump earlier said: “We’ve won against IS,” in a short video posted on Twitter.
“We’ve beaten them and we’ve beaten them badly.
“We’ve taken back the land. And now it’s time for our troops to come back home.”
A withdrawal could have major geopolitical ramifications, and plunges into uncertainty the fate of US-backed Kurdish fighters who have been tackling IS jihadists, thousands of whom are thought to remain in Syria.
About 2,000 US forces are in the country, most of them on a train-and-advise mission to support local forces fighting IS.
Legislators assailed Trump’s decision, saying it could embolden Ankara to attack USbacked Kurdish fighters.
White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said the US-led coalition that includes dozens of nations would continue fighting the jihadists.
The Pentagon refused to say what effect the troop withdrawal would have on air operations in Syria that have been ongoing since late 2014.
A large contingent of the main US-backed, anti-IS fighting force in Syria, an alliance known as the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), is Kurdish.
Turkey terms it a terrorist group.
A statement issued by the British government, which has long supported the anti-IS campaign in Syria, said “much remains to be done” against the jihadists.
“We must not lose sight of the threat they pose. Even without territory, [IS] will remain a threat,” it said.
The Times newspaper reported on Thursday that Britain had not been informed of the decision before Trump announced it.
France said it would maintain its participation in the coalition fighting IS forces in Syria.
Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, called the decision “extraordinarily short-sighted and naive”.
“This is not just a dream scenario for IS, but also for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, all of whom stand to benefit substantially from a US withdrawal,” Lister said.
Israel will escalate its fight against Iranian-aligned forces in Syria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Some Israeli officials have said Trump’s move, announced on Wednesday, could help Iran by removing a US garrison that stems the movement of Iranian forces and weaponry into Syria from Iraq.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he backed Trump’s decision.
Nevertheless he cast doubt on Washington’s actions, saying: “We don’t see any signs of withdrawing US troops yet, but I concede that it is possible.” –