US announces withdrawal of American troops from Syria

By Nathan Morley

Announcing the pullout, US President Donald Trump claimed American forces had defeated the so-called Islamic State in Syria.

“We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency,” he said in a video address taped on the White House lawn.

It’s believed that the United States currently has about 2,000 troops stationed Syria. The news angered some Syrian Kurdish officials, who are worried that the pullout could create yet another conflict in the country.

The American military detachments are made up of mostly special operations forces and have been working closely with the Syrian Democratic Forces.

In Moscow, the foreign ministry remarked the move presented "genuine, real prospects for a political settlement" in Syria.