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

[demmiblue]

Source: The Hill

U.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.

But Esper said Sunday that many of the U.S. troops leaving Syria will be relocated to Iraq.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/466609-defense-chief-says-us-troops-leaving-syria-will-go-to-western-iraq

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Link to tweet

[dewsgirl]

1. But..but..we were told they are coming home.

[Iliyah]

2. Gawd, Esper is just as bad as the rest

of shithole's cabinet.

Get rid of this current government!

[Maxheader]

3. Did you ask first mark?

or tell..

He also reportedly said that he'd spoken with his Iraqi counterparts about the move, which will place more than 700 U.S. troops in western Iraq.

I read nothing that indicates iraq wants americun troops on her soil...

[rickford66]

4. So Iraq is "home" now ?

[keithbvadu2]

5. What operations? Trump has abandoned the Kurds and allowed many ISIS fighters to escape.

What operations?

Trump has abandoned the Kurds and allowed many ISIS fighters to escape.

Who are our allies there to fight ISIS anymore?

[yaesu]

6. a cluster fuck created by the Dummy in Chief and we are retreating in confusion, in weakness. nt

[sanatanadharma]

7. Damn! A Republican Presidential 'official denial' of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq

There it is, for all of the "Bush was right, torture is good, Saddam had WMDs", crowd, a "you are wrong rebuttal" with teeth.

An official statement of record, by a Republican President officially denies that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and says invading Iraq was a mistake.

How have the regressive rabble not risen up angry and rejecting, after this now 11-day old tweeted confession of a US war crime invasion of another country based on lies (now officially refuted).

[NCjack]

8. The White House has entered full-blown Stumble Bum Mode. nt

[oldsoftie]

9. So now Iraq is considered "home"? LIAR

[Eugene]

10. Iraq says U.S. forces withdrawing from Syria have no approval to stay

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS OCTOBER 22, 2019 / 4:16 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO

Iraq says U.S. forces withdrawing from Syria have no approval to stay

Ahmed Rasheed, Idrees Ali
3 MIN READ

BAGHDAD/PRINCE SULTAN AIR BASE, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - U.S. forces that crossed into Iraq as part of a pull-out from Syria do not have permission to stay and can only be there in transit, the Iraqi military said on Tuesday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said, however, that Washington aimed eventually to bring the troops withdrawing from Syria back to the United States.

The Iraqi military statement contradicted the Pentagon’s announcement that all of the nearly 1,000 troops withdrawing from northern Syria are expected to move to western Iraq to continue the campaign against Islamic State militants and “to help defend Iraq”.

“All U.S. forces that withdrew from Syria received approval to enter the Kurdistan Region so that they may be transported outside Iraq. There is no permission granted for these forces to stay inside Iraq,” the Iraqi military said.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-iraq/iraq-says-u-s-forces-withdrawing-from-syria-have-no-approval-to-stay-idUSKBN1X10RE