Initially announced as a total withdrawal from Syria by President Trump,
the administration has backpedaled repeatedly, to the point where a
large portion of US forces will be remaining on the ground in Syria, and
about 1,000 or the current 2,000 are liable to spend the bulk of 2019
in Syria.
Officials say the current plan, such as it is,
would be to draw down to about 1,000 by early May, and then “pause” for
about six months. Then, there would be a consideration of withdrawing
some more troops, perhaps getting down to 400.
This is why there were reports the US intends to keep 1,000 troops in
Syria, because they do, and why the administration’s objections, and
arguments that the plan is still 400, is highly misleading, as that’s
now a best-case scenario.
The 400 troops, assuming it gets down there, would involve 200 troops
staying at al-Tanf base, and the other 200 troops participating in a
“multinational force” that not only doesn’t exist, but which all of the
other proposed members have openly objected being a part of.
Many US Troops Will Stay in Syria, Officials Confirm
Goal is to have 1,000 troops in Syria by May
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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