White House says fight against Isis is ‘coming to rapid end’, but US still committed to Syria presence, despite Trump insistence on withdrawal

The White House on Wednesday said the US fight against the Islamic State in Syria is “coming to a rapid end” even as Donald Trump reportedly agreed to keep troops in the war-torn country for the foreseeable future.

Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to withdraw US troops from Syria “very soon”, which is at odds with a January declaration that “it is vital for the United States to remain engaged in Syria”.

“The military mission to eradicate Isis in Syria is coming to a rapid end, with Isis being almost completely destroyed,” the White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said in a statement.

“The United States and our partners remain committed to eliminating the small Isis presence in Syria that our forces have not already eradicated. We will continue to consult with our allies and friends regarding future plans. We expect countries in the region and beyond, plus the United Nations, to work toward peace and ensure that Isis never re-emerges.”

Mixed messages emerged from a meeting between Trump and his National Security Council about the US presence in Syria earlier this week. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Trump had instructed military leaders to prepare to withdraw US troops from Syria but did not agree to a timeline by which to do so.



Meanwhile, other outlets said Trump agreed to keep US troops in Syria for an “undetermined period of time” to ensure Islamic State militants are defeated. Trump apparently repeated his demand that other countries in the region step up to restore stability to the country.

“We’re not going to immediately withdraw but neither is the president willing to back a long-term commitment,” a senior administration official told Reuters.

The White House statement appeared to be an attempt to cut through the confusion, but it offered no timetable for withdrawal.

On Tuesday, at a press conference with the leaders of three Baltic nations, Trump repeated his view that the US must “get out” of Syria “very soon”. The US has roughly 2,000 forces on the ground in Syria fighting the Islamic State.

He claimed that the fight against the Islamic State was “almost completed” and said: “I want to get out. I want to bring our troops back home. I want to start rebuilding our nation.”

Trump said the US had spent $7tn on the Middle East over the past 17 years, since the US invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

“We get nothing, nothing out of it,” Trump said. “Think of it – $7tn over a 17-year period. We have nothing – nothing except death and destruction. It’s a horrible thing. So it’s time.”

“So, it’s time. It’s time. We were very successful against Isis,” Trump said, using a common acronym for the Islamic State. “But sometimes it’s time to come back home, and we’re thinking about that very seriously, OK?”

Speaking later on Wednesday at the White House briefing, Sanders tried again to explain the White House position adding that the “focus would be to transition and train local enforcement and as well as have allies and partners in the region, who have a lot more at risk, put more skin in the game”.