Troops to stay
Reversing decision, Trump says small number of US forces will remain in Syria
Amid criticism from lawmakers of both parties over his decision to withdraw American forces from Syria, President Donald Trump said Monday that a “small” number of U.S. troops will remain there. Trump’s remarks came after residents of a Kurdish city in Syria hurled potatoes and insults at departing U.S. troops on Monday, the latest sign of the Kurds’ bitter sense of betrayal after Trump seemed to pave the way for a deadly Turkish assault that began nearly two weeks ago.
Kurdish forces pulled back from the border town of Ras al-Ayn on Sunday, preparing the area for Turkish troop deployment. But the U.S.-brokered ceasefire is set to expire on Tuesday, and Kurdish civilians fear that Turkish forces will resume their attacks.
“I’m trying to get out of wars. We may have to get in wars, too.”
President Donald Trump
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Monday that a “small” number of U.S. troops will remain in Syria amid blistering criticism from lawmakers in both parties who have denounced his previous decision to withdraw American forces.
“I’m trying to get out of wars. We may have to get in wars, too,” Trump said during in a rambling, 70-minute Cabinet meeting on Monday.
Trump’s remarks came after residents of a Kurdish city in Syria hurled potatoes and insults at departing U.S. troops on Monday, the latest sign of the Kurds’ bitter sense of betrayal after Trump seemed to pave the way for a Turkish assault.
The scene was captured in a video posted by a Kurdish news agency and showed a convoy of American armored vehicles driving through the northeastern city of Qamishli.
“Like rats, America is running away,” one man shouted in Arabic, according to The Associated Press. Another shouted obscenities and said babies in Kurdish held areas had died in the offensive.
Monday’s incident occurred just days after the U.S. brokered a temporary cease-fire between Turkish forces and the Kurdish fighters, who were America’s chief ally in the fight against the Islamic State. Under that deal, the Kurds are supposed to withdraw from a “safe zone” on the Syrian side of the Turkey “We’ve Syria border, ceding territory they had gained during the battle against IS.
The Associated Press reported that Kurdish forces pulled back from the border town of Ras al-Ayn on Sunday, paving the way for a Turkish deployment. But the cease-fire was to expire Tuesday, and Kurdish civilians fear Turkey will resume its attack.
A senior Kurdish official, Redur Khalil, said Monday his forces are preparing to complete the withdrawal. But he called for an international mechanism to protect Kurdish civilians who want to stay in their towns after the Kurdish fighters leave.
On Monday, Trump initially said he didn’t want to leave any troops in Syria, only to concede seconds later that he would be doing so – if only to secure the country’s oil fields. been asked by Israel and Jordan to leave a small number of troops in a totally different section of Syria,” he said. “We secured the oil. Other than that, there’s no reason for it.”
Trump seemed to be confirming a statement from Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who said on Sunday the administration was considering leaving troops behind to secure the oil fields in the region, amid fears that valuable territory could fall into the hands of IS.
Esper also said that the other American troops leaving Syria will not return to the U.S. Instead, he said they will go to Iraq, where they will be positioned to conduct possible operations against the Islamic State.