As President Donald Trump is due to declare the end of Islamic State (IS), the top US general in the Middle East says he disagrees with the decision.
Gen Joseph Votel told CNN that IS militants were still active in Syria and US-backed forces were not yet capable of handling the threat alone.
The commander told the Senate last week that Mr Trump did not consult him ahead of announcing his Syria pull-out plans.
He is the latest US official to break with Mr Trump over his Syria strategy.
“[IS] still has leaders, still has fighters, it still has facilitators, it still has resources, so our continued military pressure is necessary to continue to go after that network,” Gen Votel told CNN on Friday.
“When I say, ‘we have defeated them,’ I want to ensure that means they do not have the capability to plot or direct attacks against the US or our allies.”
Mr Trump announced in December that “after historic victories” against IS, he would be immediately withdrawing US troops from the region.
His surprise policy shift led to the resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, further shocking US lawmakers and allies.
Gen Votel said: “It would not have been my military advice at that particular time.”
Gen Votel, who is the head of US Central Command, also noted that waiting until US-backed Syrian forces were capable of managing the IS threat on their own was “another key criteria indicating to me that we have accomplished our mission”.
“We’re not there,” he said.