UK Says Trump Wrong to Claim Daesh Defeated in Syria

TEHRAN (defapress)- UK Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood stated that US President Donald Trump is wrong to claim Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) group has been "defeated" in Syria.

News ID: 74444

Date: 20 December 2018 - 14:08

Ellwood was quick to hit back at the US move, saying he "strongly disagreed" with Trump, saying, "It [Daesh] has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive".

The American president said on Wednesday that all US troops are to be pulled out of the country as they near the end of their campaign to retake territory once held by Daesh.

Trump, who previously stated that he wanted to bring troops home as soon as possible, said in a tweet on Wednesday that "we have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency".

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and other senior officials had previously backed the idea of staying in Syria to ensure Daesh did not re-emerge in the region.

After Trump's comments, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later confirmed officials had started returning US troops home.

A US official announced that all US State Department personnel would leave Syria within 24 hours, with the time frame for the complete military pullout set between 60 and 100 days.

There are currently 2,000 US troops in Syria - many of who are part of special operations forces working with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Complete withdrawal would still leave a large US military presence in the region, with 5,200 troops stationed in neighbouring Iraq.

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