WASHINGTON/NEAR BAGHOUZ, Syria, Feb 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The United States will leave a total of about 400 U.S. troops split between two different regions of Syria even as it withdraws most of the 2,000 troops currently in the country, U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday.
Trump said the move does not constitute a reversal of his December announcement that he had ordered the pullout of 2,000 troops from the country, claiming they had defeated Daesh (ISIS) militants in Syria.
But he was persuaded by advisers Thursday that about 200 U.S. troops would join what is expected to be a total commitment of about 800-1,500 troops from European allies to set up and observe a safe zone being negotiated for northeastern Syria, the official told reporters.
About 200 other U.S. troops will remain at the U.S. military base at Al-Tanf, near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
“We don’t want to see a resurgence of ISIS,” the official said.
Kurdish leaders in Syria suggested the remaining U.S. forces could have a major impact on the fate of the area, preventing a security vacuum. Washington could retain control of the airspace and its European allies could complement the force with more troops.
The Syrian Democratic Forces said it would complete the evacuation of thousands of civilians from Daesh’s last redoubt in the area Friday.
The planned assault on Baghouz would effectively end the territorial rule of the militant group, which held around a third of both Iraq and Syria at the height of its self-proclaimed “caliphate” four years ago.
Reporters near the front line at Baghouz saw dozens of trucks leaving loaded with civilians, and empty ones driving inside accompanied by SDF fighters.
Mustapha Bali, an SDF spokesperson, said the evacuation would be completed Friday, with thousands of civilians still inside the pocket from an estimated 7,000 at the start of the day, though by nightfall it was unclear if it had been completed.
More than 20,000 civilians have left Baghouz in recent weeks, according to previous SDF estimates.
The U.S.-led coalition that supports the SDF has said Daesh’s “most hardened fighters” are holed up inside.
“If we succeed in evacuating all the civilians, at any moment we will take the decision to storm Baghouz or force the terrorists to surrender,” Bali said.
The battle against Daesh in the area has taken place since December in the shadow of Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw all U.S. troops, which raised doubt about the future of the fighters that had served as U.S. allies on the ground.The Kurdish-led authorities in the north welcomed the White House reversal. They had feared that a total U.S. withdrawal would leave their area exposed to attack by Turkey, which sees the main Kurdish militia as a national security threat.
“We evaluate the White House decision … positively,” Abdel-Karim Omar, co-chair of foreign relations in the region held by the U.S.-backed SDF, told Reuters. “This decision may encourage other European states, particularly our partners in the international coalition against terrorism, to keep forces in the region,” he added. “I believe that keeping a number of American troops and a larger number of [other] coalition troops, with air protection, will play a role in securing stability and protecting the region too.”
The SDF’s top commander earlier this week called for 1,000 to 1,500 international troops to remain in Syria to help fight Daesh and expressed hope Washington would halt Trump’s plans for a total pullout.
A Western diplomat said it remained to be seen whether European allies would contribute troops or whether the force would be able to secure the area.
“Even if 200 troops remain and the U.S. decides to continue claiming the airspace, it’s not clear whether that would convince Britain, France and other partners to stay, and whether that could keep the Syrian regime out of the northeast for now, or Turkey, or an IS [Daesh] resurgence.”
The Kurds, who want to preserve the autonomy they have carved out, have made overtures to President Bashar Assad, urging government forces to deploy at the borders as Washington withdraws.
The U.S. decision may strengthen the Kurds’ hand.
“I believe that these forces in this region … will be a motivation, an incentive and also a means of pressure on Damascus to try seriously to have a dialogue to resolve the Syrian crisis,” Omar said.
