US 'planning withdrawal from Syria' as Trump declares Islamic State defeated

[TomSea]

US 'planning withdrawal from Syria' as Trump declares Islamic State defeated
Washington official says full withdrawal is planned, even with anticipated Turkish offensive against US forces' pro-Kurdish allies looming

The US is reported to be planning a large-scale withdrawal of its military forces from northeastern Syria in what would be an unexpected move ahead of an anticipated Turkish offensive east of the Eurphrates against the US forces' pro-Kurdish allies.

The US has at least 2,000 troops stationed in the region where it has waged an air campaign in support of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which undertook the bulk of the fighting on the ground to displace Islamic State (IS) militants from their former stronghold of Raqqa.

The US is to fully withdraw its troops from all of Syria, a US official told the AFP news agency on Wednesday, after Trump said in on Twitter that IS had been "defeated."

"Full withdrawal," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Read more at: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-fully-withdraw-forces-all-syria-reports-2063636845