Tag: U.s. troops

Defense chief says US troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq

The Hill logoU.S. troops leaving Syria will be relocated to western Iraq, where they will continue to conduct operations to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Sunday.

Esper told reporters traveling with him to the Middle East that details regarding the U.S. military’s efforts in western Iraq would be worked out in the upcoming weeks, The Associated Press reported.

The comments came after weeks of bipartisan scrutiny of President Trump‘s abrupt decision to pull roughly 1,000 troops from northern Syria ahead of a planned Turkish offensive in the area. Trump has repeatedly argued that it is time to get out of “endless wars” and promised to bring U.S. troops home.

View the complete October 20 article by Justine Wise on The Hill website here.

Trump’s military moves accelerate GOP search for next McCain

President Trump’s sudden announcements to pull U.S. troops out of Syria and dramatically reduce combat forces in Afghanistan have Republicans wondering who will fill the void left by the late John McCain, a prominent authority on national security willing to speak for the nation’s military commanders.

McCain’s absence was strongly felt last week when Trump unexpectedly announced his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. While there was general pushback in the Senate, some observers said the GOP’s criticism of the commander in chief did not match the authoritative voice of McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

“We miss his voice and his actions,” said John Weaver, a longtime political adviser to McCain. “Can you imagine if John was still the chairman of the Armed Services Committee? It would have been rather dramatic.”

View the complete December 27 article by Alexander Bolton on The Hill website here.