Pentagon Official: Executive Order for Withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Syria Signed

Media reports citing the U.S. Department of Defense state that "the executive order for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria has been signed." Donald Trump recently announced that he would withdraw his country's military from Syria. Following this, the U.S. Secretary of Defense resigned. On December 23, a French news agency reported, citing a Pentagon official, that the executive order had been signed; similar reports were published by CNN and Fox News. Both CNN and Fox also quoted another Pentagon official stating that this order was signed by James Mattis, the Secretary of Defense, who will leave his position in a few days. The Pentagon official told the media that this executive order includes the method and timing of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, but did not provide further details. According to CNN, estimates suggest that approximately 2,600 personnel and soldiers of the U.S. military are currently stationed in Syria. Fox News reported this figure as 2,000. CNN reported that the withdrawal of forces is likely to begin in the coming weeks and will take several weeks to reach its final stage. Fox stated that it is still unclear whether weapons and military equipment will continue to be sent to groups like the "Syrian Democratic Forces," which are among the most important allies of the Washington-led coalition in the fight against ISIS. Donald Trump announced some time ago that he would withdraw his country's military from Syria. U.S. troops were deployed to Syria in 2015 to combat ISIS, and the country also leads a coalition against ISIS. The announcement of the withdrawal of forces from Syria coincided with the resignation of James Mattis, the Secretary of Defense under Trump. Both issues sparked widespread reactions inside and outside the U.S. Even some of Trump's allies criticized this decision and expressed concern about Mattis's departure. Some also stated that it is the President's right to have a Secretary of Defense who aligns with his views. Shortly after Mattis's resignation, as comments on the matter increased, Donald Trump reiterated the withdrawal of military forces from Syria and specifically addressed this issue in several tweets. Mattis was supposed to remain in his position until February for the President to introduce another Secretary of Defense. However, Trump appointed Patrick Shanahan, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, as the acting head of the Pentagon on Sunday and issued the acting order for January 1. In this context, Netanyahu stated that operations against Iran's presence in Syria would intensify after the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Mattis's resignation occurred until Trump has a Secretary of Defense who aligns with his views. The U.S. representative in the global coalition against ISIS resigned. Trump defended the decision to withdraw from Syria following two resignations and negative reactions.