The U.S. Senate was kept in the dark about President Trump’s plans to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the Foreign Relations chairman, when asked by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., about a withdrawal in the Senate subway.
Corker said he was waiting for calls back from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to get some information on the decision and would not comment further.
Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that the U.S. has completed its mission in Syria as reports emerged of the potential withdrawal of 2,000 troops who are fighting the Islamic State group there, a move that could bring a sudden end to the four-year war.
“I did not know and I think I should have been [notified],” said Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., the Armed Services chairman. “I believe that they should have notified probably all of Congress but certainly our committee.”
Inhofe said he would also reach out to the administration for answers and that he was concerned about the Kurdish forces that have served as U.S. allies on the ground in Syria. Some of the groups as considered terrorists by Turkey and could be under threat after a withdrawal.
Over at the Pentagon, Mattis dodged reporters during a visit by Vice President Mike Pence and Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan declined to comment on the situation.
“I don’t think it is the culmination of a careful policy review, in fact I think many of our foreign policy officials might have been taken by surprise,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the Armed Services ranking member.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had earlier issued a statement warning Trump that a withdrawal would be an “Obama-like” mistake and said he had a meeting scheduled Wednesday with Mattis to discuss it.
“I don’t know what they’ve done but this is chaos. I can only imagine how it’s playing in Syria, what are we talking about, how does a story like this get out?” Graham said.
The withdrawal drew bipartisan opposition from lawmakers.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., warned that a U.S. departure would essentially hand the country over to Russia and Iran, which both have military forces operating in the country.
“I think it is a dangerous decision. It will leave a lot of those who fought for us in the lurch, it doesn’t give us any leverage in Syria for which we have interests, and once again it is an example of actions without a plan,” Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee.
