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.”

CodePink leader adds muscle to well-funded fight to ban restaurant delicacy

How to follow 2026 Election Day coverage on Fox News platforms

Virginia’s Dem AG Calls AR-15 Rifles ‘Machine Guns’ in Stunningly Ignorant Brief to SCOTUS

Report: ‘Presbyterian Seminarian’ Talarico Had Account On Adult Hookup Website, Was Looking for ‘Group Sex,’ ‘Fetish’ Partners

Gavin Newsom touts ‘ruthless’ approach to politics in New Hampshire pitch

Trump admin threatens Iran with ‘consequences’ as allies convene amid threats of post-election escalation

Why Keisha Lance Bottoms is trailing Jon Ossoff in Georgia

Watch: Muslim Debater Begs Security to Remove Christian Apologist After He Tells the Truth About Islam

Will Republicans distance themselves from Trump after the midterm elections?

Watch: Parents Say Soccer Officials Called Cops on Their Toddler Because He Was Too Good

Trump push to oust Omar faces historic Supreme Court test, but legal experts see ‘uncharted’ twist

An art museum to visit in sneakers

Democrats are likely to come up short in Florida. They’re still giving Republicans a scare

Federal judge blocks Trump DOJ threats against election workers ahead of 2026 midterms

California woman accused of killing trans son-in-law puts blame on husband in new docs: reports

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.”