Baladi News
Brett McGurk, the U.S. special presidential envoy against the Islamic State, has resigned over Trump's call to withdraw all troops from Syria.
McGurk, who has been also been a key figure in U.S. involvement in Iraq and Syria during the past three administrations, submitted his letter of resignation Friday, officials said.
His resignation, confirmed by a State Department official familiar with the matter, comes on the heels of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis's announced departure this week because of differences with the White House over foreign policy, immediately following Trump's decision. Mattis said he would stay on until February to ensure an smooth transition.
Earlier this month, McGurk said that the Islamic State was far from defeated despite its loss of territory. "Nobody working on these issues day to day is complacent. Nobody is declaring a mission accomplished," McGurk said at a State Department briefing. "Defeating a physical caliphate is one phase of a much longer-term campaign."