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.”

St. Louis Calls Off Search for Band of Monkeys Allegedly Accompanied by a Goat After AI Images Flood Social Media

Leftist with ‘Any Pronouns’ Arrested for Assassination Threats Against Conservatives on Campus

Five Severed Human Heads Discovered Hanging on Beach in Apparent Drug Cartel Warning

Radical Groups Like Renee Good’s Are Tailing ICE All Over America

Trump accuses Tim Walz and Ilhan Omar of using ICE protests to distract from massive state fraud

Surgeon ex in Ohio dentist murders job hopped across country, dodged lawsuits after divorce

Cori Bush ripped for ‘jaw-dropping’ hypocrisy on key issue amid comeback House bid

The Redistricting Scheme That Could Help Dems Retake the House

Lawyers Claim Man’s Life ‘Stolen’ By ICE: Turns Out He Shot at an Officer

Professors were disciplined for vulgar posts after Charlie Kirk’s assassination: where are they now?

Russia tries to revive its relevance with support for Iran after failure to fight US moves in Venezuela

Trump vows to ‘take out’ Indiana GOP leader over redistricting fight

Homan Confirms ICE Agent Who Shot Renee Good Is ‘in Hiding’ Amid Rabid Leftist Death Threats

Progressive-backed Analilia Mejia faces uphill battle in bid to replace Mikie Sherrill

Border Patrol commander vows continued tear gas use after Minnesota fedreal judge’s order

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.”