Pentagon: Up to 1,000 U.S. Troops to Withdraw from Northern Syria

Washington (AFP) – The Pentagon said Sunday President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of up to 1,000 troops from northern Syria — almost the entire ground force in war-torn country — amid an intensifying Turkish assault on Kurdish forces.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the move came after the US learned that Turkey was pressing further into Syria than had been expected.

And the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are seeking a deal with the Syrian regime and Russia to counter-attack against the Turks in the north, Esper added.

“We find ourselves as we have American forces likely caught between two opposing advancing armies and it’s a very untenable situation,” Esper told CBS’s Face the Nation.

“So I spoke with the president last night after discussions with the rest of the national security team and he directed that we begin a deliberate withdrawal of forces from northern Syria.”

Rob Reiner, 1947–2025

North Carolina’s longest-serving governor dies at 88 after serving 4 terms in office

Milwaukee County judge found guilty of obstructing federal immigration agents in courthouse incident

BREAKING: Deceased Brown Shooting Suspect ID’d as 48-Year-Old Portuguese National, Student at Brown

US military strikes narco-terrorist vessels in latest Eastern Pacific drug trafficking operation

Maria Shriver slams Trump over Kennedy Center name change decision: ‘Beyond comprehension’

Minneapolis police chief blasts ICE after agent seen dragging woman through street, kneeling on her back

Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente identified as Brown University shooting suspect, found dead

Trump quietly signs sweeping $901B defense bill after bipartisan Senate passage

Justice Department prepares to drop trove of Epstein files as deadline looms

Erika Kirk vows to get Vance ‘elected for 48’ at AmericaFest

Top Mamdani appointee dramatically quits after antisemitic posts resurface

Kennedy Center for Performing Arts Getting Name Change Under Trump’s Leadership

Florida executes man convicted of killing airman and girlfriend in 1987 home invasion

A Year Before His Tragic Death, NASCAR’s Greg Biffle Saved Lives in Flood-Ravaged North Carolina

Esper said he was unable to provide a timeline because of the rapidly changing situation on the ground, but added that the withdrawal would be carried out in a “very safe, deliberate manner.”

“Look it’s a very terrible situation over there. A situation caused by the Turks… Despite our opposition they decided to make this incursion into Syria,” Esper told CBS.

“And at this point in time in the last 24 hours we learned that they likely intend to expand their attack further south than originally planned and to the west

“We also have learned in the last 24 hours that the… SDF are looking to cut a deal, if you will, with the Syrians and the Russians to counter-attack against the Turks in the north.”

– ‘Immediate defensive action’ –

Asked if troops would be leaving the country altogether, Esper clarified that the withdrawal was just from northern Syria, “which is where most of our forces are.”