Trump: American Forces Will Soon Leave Syria

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, stated on Thursday, March 29, that American forces will soon leave Syria. Speaking in Richfield, Ohio, about the rebuilding of American infrastructure, Trump referred to the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq, saying, "We will be out of Syria very soon. Let others take care of it. We are coming back to our country, where we belong and want to be." According to the Associated Press, the Pentagon announced in December that there are 2,000 American troops in Syria. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary James Mattis had also stated that he expects an increase in the presence of American civilians in Syria, with more going there as diplomats and contractors. Following the extensive advance of ISIS in western Iraq in 2014, the U.S. formed a military coalition to combat this group. The U.S. also supported the Syrian Democratic Forces, a group composed of Kurdish and Arab militants. These forces, with the backing of the U.S.-led coalition, managed to capture large areas of ISIS territory in Syria, especially Raqqa, the group's capital. Trump has previously spoken about the withdrawal of American forces from Syria, stating that the goal of U.S. forces in Syria is to eliminate the Islamic State, after which they will leave the country.