Baladi News
The US could keep up to 1,000 troops in Syria three months after President Donald Trump ordered a full withdrawal from the war-torn nation, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
The Journal's report, citing US officials, said the US planned to continue working with Kurdish fighters in Syria who face threats from Turkey. The report said the plans came as talks between the US, Turkey, European allies and the Kurds have failed to establish a safe zone in Syria.
The reported plans come after Trump's order in December to have a "rapid" withdrawal of the US military from Syria. Shortly after Trump's decision, Defense Secretary James Mattis announced his intention to resign, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told Congress in late January that ISIS maintained a presence in Syria -- despite Trump's claim the militant group had already been defeated.
The Journal report said the US is expected to withdraw hundreds of US forces after "the last bastion" of ISIS is seized.
A US official told CNN that some planning numbers have exceeded 400 for the total number of US forces to stay in Syria, but that no final decisions had been made and various figures were potentials at this point.
The plan was to have a combined force of about 1,500 troops overall to ensure the safe zone in northern Syria, and the US planning would be informed based on how many allies have pledged contributions. To date, there have been no firm pledges from allies, meaning the US level would have to go up.
Source: CNN.