The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has signed off on a “conditions-based” framework for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, the Pentagon announced Monday after national security adviser John Bolton said certain conditions must first be met before a pullout.
The U.S. is poised to support the coalition, Combined Joint Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve, “while withdrawing troops in a strong, deliberate, and coordinated manner in order to ensure U.S. forces’ safety and protection,” according to a Pentagon spokesperson.
“OIR has an approved framework for the withdrawal of forces from Syria and is now engaged in executing that withdrawal,” Cmdr. Sean Robertson said. “That framework is conditions-based and will not subject troop withdrawal to an arbitrary timeline.”
Specific troop movements and timelines were not shared due to operational security, but the Pentagon said it expects to share further updates regarding “percentages of equipment removed from Syria.”
Although President Trump initially said in December that the Islamic State had been defeated and that troops were “all coming back and they’re coming back now,” he has since pulled back on the urgency of such a move. “[W]e will be leaving at a proper pace while at the same time continuing to fight ISIS and doing all else that is prudent and necessary!” he said in a tweet Monday.
Bolton said Sunday during a press conference in Israel that certain conditions must be met before a withdrawal can occur, mentioning specifically that Turkey would have to agree not to attack Kurdish allies who have assisted the U.S. in countering ISIS.
“We’ll be discussing the president’s decision to withdraw, but to do so from northeast Syria in a way that makes sure that ISIS is defeated and is not able to revive itself,” Bolton said Sunday during a joint press conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“There are objectives that we want to accomplish that condition the withdrawal,” Bolton said. “The timetable flows from the policy decisions that we need to implement.”
