The general overseeing U.S. forces in the Middle East said on Thursday that he was under no pressure to withdraw forces from Syria by any specific date, after President Trump ordered the drawdown of most U.S. troops from Syria
1 / 2General Joseph L. Votel, Commander of United States Central Command speaks during the Change of Command U.S. Naval Forces Central Command 5th Fleet Combined Maritime Forces ceremony at the U.S. Naval Base in BahrainFILE PHOTO: General Joseph L. Votel, Commander of United States Central Command speaks during the Change of Command U.S. Naval Forces Central Command 5th Fleet Combined Maritime Forces ceremony at the U.S. Naval Base in Bahrain, May 6, 2018.
But Trump was persuaded by advisers that about 200 U.S. troops would join what is expected to be a total commitment of about 800 to 1,500 troops from European allies to set up and observe a safe zone being negotiated for northeastern Syria. "In terms of the public perception, the international perception is that prior to that Tweet it wasn't planned, he sent it out and now we are responding," Democratic Representative Adam Smith, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said.Votel said Russia viewed Trump's announcement positively.
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