Trump defends chaotic military pullout of Syria

President Donald Trump took to Twitter Thursday to defend his sudden announcement to pull U.S. troops out of Syria – and warned ISIS it was ‘doomed!’ if the terror group hit at the U.S.   

Trump issued the warning just hours after proclaiming ‘we have defeated ISIS in Syria.’ He also said Russian, Iranian, and Turkish forces who remain would continue to battle ISIS. Despite the president’s claim the military assesses thousands of ISIS fighters remain.   

In a barrage of tweets Trump also said the U.S. was getting ‘NOTHING’ out of being in Syria, where last year the president ordered air strikes to respond to President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons.   

The president’s pushback against critics comes after members of his own party blasted the sudden announcement he made Wednesday morning, disputed his claims that the U.S. had defeated ISIS, and warned regional powers Russia, Iran, and Turkey stood to gain at U.S. expense.   

‘Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I’ve been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer,’ Trump wrote.   Trump has called for getting out of Syria, including last spring, but his sudden Twitter announcement caught senior Pentagon officials off guard, along with senior lawmakers who are accustomed to getting briefed on major policy decisions and changes in the nation’s strategic posture and who must be consulted when troops are deployed.   Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday the U.S. decision to pull out was ‘correct’.
US (Daily Mail), 
20 December 2018