US President Donald Trump announced via Twitter December 19 the US had defeated Daesh* in Syria – although many have publicly disagreed with his proclamation in the strongest terms.
Trump made the decision to withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria at some point earlier this week, without warning key US allies, his own advisers, and Pentagon and State Department staff, who learned of his intentions the evening of December 18.
Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton is thoroughly opposed to the move too, with a diplomatic source describing him as “livid”. Committed Trump loyalist Senator Lindsey Graham also denounced the decision, calling it “an Obama-like mistake”.