Last week, US President Donald Trump reportedly agreed that about 400 troops would remain in Syria after the withdrawal of forces. The step was taken after two-months of pressure by Washington’s allies and resignations of American top defence officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed reported Trump’s decision to leave about 400 US military personnel in Syria.
The remaining forces will be stationed at two areas: 200 at the al- Tanf base and around 200 more soldiers in northeastern Syria as peacekeepers, Reuters reports, citing a US administration official. As the official noted, quoted by the media, those deployed in the northeast would be a part of a larger contingent, including Washington’s European allies. The latter’s contribution will number around 800-1,500 soldiers.
Both France and the United States are a part of the Joint Task Force established by the US-led international coalition against Daesh. The alliance has been conducting military operations in both Syria and Iraq since 2014. In Syria, these operations have been approved neither by the country’s government, not by the UN.
US Withdrawal From Syria
US President Donald Trump declared one of the biggest White House decisions to pull out troops from Syria in December 2018, promising to bring around 3,000 American soldiers home. The reason for the move, as he explained, was the defeat of the Daesh terrorist group in the Arab Republic.
However, recently White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that a small “peacekeeping group” of about 200 soldiers will stay in Syria “for [a] period of time” after the withdrawal. The same information was repeated by Reuters anonymous US administration official quoted.