Trump denies that U.S. plan to depart Syria has changed

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump vowed a “prudent” withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, embracing a new, more cautious timeline on Monday while appearing to deny that he had ever ordered an immediate troop departure in the first place.

“We will be leaving at a proper pace while at the same time continuing to fight ISIS and doing all else that is prudent and necessary!” Trump said in a morning tweet. That was “no different from my original statements,” he said, accusing the news media of inaccurately reporting “my intentions on Syria.”

Last month, Trump declared the Islamic State group defeated in Syria and said troops would be “coming back now.” Since then, senior officials have issued a series of statements that have cast doubt on his promise of a quick departure.

The president’s endorsement of a flexible departure, conditioned on the still-to-come defeat of the Islamic State, was the latest indication of his administration’s zigzagging foreign policy, in which decisions are often made by dramatic presidential tweets and followed by more circumspect policies reflecting top advisers’ views.

The initial plan for a quick withdrawal, which would require turning over the U.S.-supported effort against remaining militants to NATO ally Turkey, was met with dismay among officials and lawmakers who feared the Islamic State could return in force. A day after Trump’s announcement, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned in protest.

Trump’s new remarks appeared to endorse a revised proposal, floated by National Security Adviser John Bolton a day earlier, that would allow U.S. troops and their local allies to extinguish a small but stubborn militant force before they depart. It would also require Turkey to refrain from attacking Syrian Kurdish troops who are the chief U.S. partner on the ground.

The evolving plans came as Bolton traveled Monday to Ankara, Turkey’s capital, for talks with Turkish officials on the U.S. withdrawal, including protection of the American-allied Syrian Democratic Forces, which Turkey has vowed to expel from northeast Syria.

Officials across the government have scrambled in recent days to keep up with shifting statements from administration leaders, even as they continued to make plans for a near-term military exit that they cautioned could squander the fruits of a four-year military effort. There are more than 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria.

While Trump initially demanded a 30-day departure, officials said the administration later settled on an exit within 120 days to give the military more time to break down bases and safely remove equipment and personnel. The latest comments from Trump and Bolton intensified uncertainty about what would occur.

Trump’s pullout plan fueled concerns among allied nations, including France and Britain, who have sent their own troops to Syria. It also drew criticism from his own party, including from Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., who on Sunday said Trump had “made a mistake” with his initial pronouncement but was now “slowing down.”