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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 21 october 2019
U.S. troops in Syria going to Iraq, not home as Trump claims

Continued from Front to fight IS have maintained
control of the prisons in
Trump nonetheless tweet- Syria where they are still
ed: "USA soldiers are not in present. The Turks, he said,
combat or ceasefire zones. have indicated they have
We have secured the Oil. control of the IS prisons in
Bringing soldiers home!" their areas.
The president declared this "I can't assess whether
past week that Washington that's true or not without
had no stake in defending having people on the
the Kurdish fighters who ground," said Esper.
died by the thousands as He added that the U.S.
America's partners fighting withdrawal will be delib-
in Syria against IS extrem- erate and safe, and it will
ists. Turkey conducted a take "weeks not days."
weeklong offensive into According to a U.S. official,
northeastern Syria against about a couple hundred
the Kurdish fighters before troops have left Syria so far.
a military pause. The U.S. forces have been
"It's time for us to come largely consolidated in one
home," Trump said, de- location in the west and a
fending his removal of U.S. few locations in the east.
troops from that part of Syr- The official, who spoke on
ia and praising his decision condition of anonymity to
to send more troops and discuss ongoing opera-
military equipment to Saudi tions, said the U.S. military is
Arabia to help the kingdom not closely monitoring the
defend against Iran. effectiveness of the cease-
Esper's comments to report- fire, but is aware of sporad-
ers traveling with him were ic fighting and violations of
the first to specifically lay the agreement. The official
out where American troops said it will still take a couple
will go as they shift from Syr- of weeks to get forces out
ia and what the counter-IS of Syria.
fight could look like. Esper Also Sunday, U.S. House
said he has spoken to his In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2019 file photo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks to a gathering of Speaker Nancy Pelosi led
Iraqi counterpart about the soldiers at the University Club at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. a group of American law-
plan to shift about 1,000 Associated Press makers on a visit to Jordan
troops from Syria into west- U.S. troops in Syria to with- its troops out of Iraq in 2011 While he acknowledged to discuss "the deepening
ern Iraq. draw after Turkish President when combat operations reports of intermittent fight- crisis" in Syria.
Trump's top aide, asked Recep Tayyip Erdogan there ended, but they ing despite the cease-fire Jordan's state news agen-
about the fact that the made it clear in a phone went back in after IS began agreement, he said that cy Petra said that King Ab-
troops were not coming call that his forces were to take over large swaths overall it "generally seems dullah II, in a meeting with
home as the president about to invade Syria to of the country in 2014. The to be holding. We see a the Americans, stressed the
claimed they would, said, push back Kurdish forces number of American forces stability of the lines, if you importance of safeguard-
"Well, they will eventually." that Turkey considers terror- in Iraq has remained small will, on the ground." ing Syria's territorial integ-
Acting chief of staff Mick ists. due to political sensitivities He also said that, so far, the rity and guarantees for the
Mulvaney told "Fox News The pullout largely aban- in the country, after years Syrian Democratic Forces "safe and voluntary" return
Sunday" that "the quick- dons America's Kurdish of what some Iraqis consid- that partnered with the U.S. of refugees.q
est way to get them out of allies who have fought IS er U.S. occupation during
danger was to get them alongside U.S. troops for the war that began in 2003.
into Iraq." several years. Between 200 Esper said he will talk with
As Esper left Washington and 300 U.S. troops will re- other allies at a NATO meet-
on Saturday, U.S. troops main at the southern Syrian ing in the coming week to
were continuing to pull out outpost of Al-Tanf. discuss the way ahead for
of northern Syria after Tur- Esper said the troops going the counter-IS mission.
key's invasion into the bor- into Iraq will have two mis- Asked if U.S. special opera-
der region. Reports of spo- sions. tions forces will conduct
radic clashes continued "One is to help defend Iraq unilateral military opera-
between Turkish-backed and two is to perform a tions into Syria to go after IS,
fighters and the Syria Kurd- counter-ISIS mission as we Esper said that is an option
ish forces despite a five- sort through the next steps," that will be discussed with
day cease-fire agreement he said. "Things could allies over time.
hammered out Thursday change between now and He said one of his top
between U.S. and Turkish whenever we complete concerns is what the next
leaders. the withdrawal, but that's phase of the counter-IS
The Turkish military's death the game plan right now." missions looks like, "but we
toll has risen to seven sol- The U.S. currently has more have to work through those
diers since it launched its than 5,000 American forces details." He said that if U.S.
offensive on Oct. 9. in Iraq, under an agree- forces do go in, they would
Trump ordered the bulk of ment between the two be protected by American
the approximately 1,000 countries. The U.S. pulled aircraft.