{"id":180781,"date":"2018-12-19T16:01:13","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T16:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=180781"},"modified":"2018-12-21T06:45:43","modified_gmt":"2018-12-21T06:45:43","slug":"trump-to-pull-troops-from-syria-we-have-defeated-isis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=180781","title":{"rendered":"Trump to pull troops from Syria: &#8216;We have defeated ISIS&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Ben Wolfgang &#8212; Dec 19, 2018<\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">President <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/donald-trump\/\">Trump<\/a> on Wednesday morning signaled that U.S. forces will soon fully withdraw from <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>, having completed their mission to defeat the Islamic State.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">\u201cWe have defeated <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/isis\/\">ISIS<\/a> in <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,\u201d <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/donald-trump\/\">Mr. Trump<\/a> tweeted.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump\/status\/1075397797929775105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 19, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">The administration reportedly is in the planning stages to remove all of the 2,000 American forces currently stationed inside <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>, which has been devastated by a yearslong civil war and has become ground zero in a broad proxy war involving Israel, Iran, Turkey, Russia and other actors. In addition to the limited ground presence in <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>, the U.S. also has conducted air strikes against the Islamic State since 2014; from Dec. 9 to Dec. 15, for example, the U.S.-led coalition conducted more than 200 strikes in <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>, according to the <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/pentagon\/\">Pentagon<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_124439\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Sukhoi-Su-34.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-124439\" class=\"wp-image-124439 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Sukhoi-Su-34-300x175.jpg\" alt=\"An Sukhoi Su-34 fires a precision guided missile in Syria. Russia's involvement in the conflict has given its armed forces valuable experience and shown that it's very much a force to be reckoned with. Click to enlarge\" width=\"300\" height=\"175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Sukhoi-Su-34-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Sukhoi-Su-34.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-124439\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Sukhoi Su-34 fires a precision guided missile in Syria. I has been estimated that Russian airstrikes in Syria killed more than 80,000 militants. Click to enlarge<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">U.S.-backed Kurdish forces also are on the verge of capturing some of the final key areas held by the Islamic State east of the Euphrates River. Victory there would mark a decisive blow against the terrorist group.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\"><a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/donald-trump\/\">Mr. Trump<\/a> has vowed to bring U.S. forces home from <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a> as soon as the fight against the Islamic State was over. <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/pentagon\/\">Pentagon<\/a> officials in recent months have stressed that the terrorist organization \u2014 which once controlled huge swaths of territory in Iraq and <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>, and had vowed to build a \u201ccaliphate\u201d in the region \u2014 has been territorially defeated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">But officials have stressed that the group, also known as <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/isis\/\">ISIS<\/a>, has been shifting its strategy and is transforming into a more covert terrorist organization. The Islamic State still has tens of thousands of fighters across the Middle East and Africa, according to U.S. government estimates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Some lawmakers on Wednesday said pulling U.S. forces out of the country would be a monumental mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">\u201cIf these media reports are true, it will be an Obama-like mistake made by the Trump administration,\u201d Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, said in a statement. \u201cWhile American patience in confronting radical Islam may wane, the radical Islamists\u2019 passion to kill Americans and our allies never wavers \u2026 An American withdrawal at this time would be a big win for <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/isis\/\">ISIS<\/a>, Iran, Bashar al Assad of <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>, and Russia. I fear it will lead to devastating consequences for our nation, the region, and throughout the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">In response to reports of an imminent withdrawal Wednesday, <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/pentagon\/\">Pentagon<\/a> officials offered little detail.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">\u201cAt this time, we continue to work by, with and through our partners in the region,\u201d <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/pentagon\/\">Pentagon<\/a> spokesman Col. Rob Manning said in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Later Wednesday morning, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the U.S. has already begun to bring troops home as the administration transitions to the \u201cnext phase\u201d of its operation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">\u201cFive years ago, <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/isis\/\">ISIS<\/a> was a very powerful and dangerous force in the Middle East, and now the United States has defeated the territorial caliphate,\u201d she said in a statement. \u201cThese victories over <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/isis\/\">ISIS<\/a> in <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a> do not signal the end of the global coalition or its campaign.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">\u201cWe have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign,\u201d she continued. \u201cThe United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support and any means of infiltrating our borders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Some analysts said the news will mark the fulfillment of a major <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/donald-trump\/\">Trump<\/a> campaign promise and indicates the U.S. believes its war on the Islamic State is coming to an end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">\u201cThe decision to remove U.S. forces from <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a> should not be a shock,\u201d said Harry J. Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest. \u201cIn fact, with President <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/donald-trump\/\">Trump<\/a> promising to the American people he would act only in the national interest \u2014 and that U.S. forces have accomplished their objective to defeat the Islamic State \u2014 there was no reason for them to stay any longer. This is a smart move and consistent with the Trump\u2019s own foreign policy vision to place America\u2019s interests first above all else. \u201c<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">Defense Department officials have occasionally been at odds with the White House on the exact U.S. mission in Syria. <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/pentagon\/\">Pentagon<\/a> officials have said the only American mission is to defeat the Islamic State, while White House national security adviser John Bolton said the U.S. would remain in <a style=\"color: #ccffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/topics\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a> until all Iranian-backed proxy groups \u2014 which are aligned with Syrian dictator Bashar Assad \u2014 are forced out of the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ccffff;\">The exact U.S. mission in Syria has been muddy for years, with the U.S. technically engaged only with the Islamic State, though American forces also have targeted Assad\u2019s forces on numerous occasions after they deployed chemical weapons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2018\/dec\/19\/us-preparing-full-troop-withdrawal-syria-report\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Although it&#8217;s to be welcomed, IF IT HAPPENS as we&#8217;ve heard this before, it wasn\u2019t the US that defeated ISIS but Syria, Iran and Russia; Trump is simply taking credit for their work.   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39262,"featured_media":124439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[51,95,91,83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-180781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-Iran","category-beheadings-by-muslim-militants","category-russia","category-syria"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=180781"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":180816,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180781\/revisions\/180816"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/124439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=180781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=180781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=180781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}