US Possibly Setting Up New Military Bases in Syria, Despite Trump’s ‘Withdrawal’ Promise
- US Possibly Setting Up New Military Bases in Syria, Despite Trump’s ‘Withdrawal’ Promise
by https://www.rt.com/
While President Trump has reiterated his intention to withdraw troops from Syria, the US military is reportedly working on plans to send an additional contingent to secure a foothold in the north of the war-torn country.
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“I want to get out, I want to bring the troops back home, I want to start rebuilding our nation,” US President Donald Trump said Tuesday during a news conference at the White House with leaders of the Baltic nations, noting that the “primary mission” of defeating the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists in Syria is “almost completed.”
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Promising to make a decision on the pullout “very quickly,” the president noted that the US gained “nothing out of $7 trillion” spent in the Middle East over the last 17 years. “It’s very costly for our country and it helps other countries a hell of a lot more than it helps us.”
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While reiterating his resolve to withdraw 2,000 US soldiers from Syria, first mentioned in Ohio last week, Trump hinted that the US might be willing to stay in Syria if its Middle Eastern ally, Saudi Arabia, pays for US troop deployment.
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A continued US presence in Syria was reportedly discussed between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is wrapping up a three-week US tour which began last month. The Gulf kingdom sees the US presence in Syria as the main bulwark against Iranian influence in the region.
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“Saudi Arabia is very interested in our decision,” Trump said Tuesday. “And I said, well, you know, you want us to stay? Maybe you’re going to have to pay.”
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Trump’s assessment of the US presence in Syria does not seem to line up with with the Pentagon’s analysis. “A lot of very good military progress has been made over the last couple of years, but the hard part, I think, is in front of us,” General Joseph L. Votel, head of US Central Command, noted Tuesday at the US Institute of Peace.
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General Votel explained that the US presence in the northern part of the country will play a crucial role in “stabilizing” Syria, while “consolidating gains” and “addressing long-term issues of reconstruction.”
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