In trying to justify the sudden withdrawal of the U.S. military from Syria, Donald Trump said earlier this week, it was time to bring our troops home.
But they’re not coming home. Despite the president’s words, Defense Secretary Mark Esper has confirmed that U.S. troops will only be relocating to Iraq, where they will continue to fight ISIS. From a Politico reporter traveling with the Defense Secretary:
“Speaking to reporters traveling with him to the Middle East, Esper did not rule out the idea that U.S. forces would conduct counterterrorism missions from Iraq into Syria. But he said those details will be worked out over time.“
“The developments made clear that one of President Donald Trump’s rationales for withdrawing troops from Syria was not going to come to pass any time soon.“
The Pentagon currently has more than 5,000 troops in Iraq, and Trump is moving more than a thousand to Saudi Arabia.