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Trump Defends 'Slow' Withdrawal of US Troops From Syria

© REUTERS / Rodi SaidPeople gesture at a US military vehicle in Amuda province, northern Syria
People gesture at a US military vehicle in Amuda province, northern Syria - Sputnik International
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The White House announced the pull out of its troops from the Arab Republic on 19 December. The US president noted later that the goal of American troops to eliminate Daesh* had been "mostly" achieved and thus the soldiers can now return home.

US President Donald Trump has taken to his favourite medium, Twitter to defend his decision to withdraw American troops from Syria, slamming critics for allegedly being hypocritical. Trump noted that any other US president would have been applauded for such a decision.

READ MORE: US Withdrawal From Syria a Step in Right Direction — Russian Envoy to UN

Trump argued that he had always campaigned against "never ending wars", but at the same time achieved much in defeating the Daesh* in Syria, claiming that US troops will be returning home "with victory".

U.S. President Donald Trump, center, puts on a jacket beside first lady Melania Trump, as President Trump meets the US troops at the U.S. Yokota Air Base, on the outskirts of Tokyo, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017. - Sputnik International
Graham: ‘I Feel Pretty Good’ About Syria After Lunch with Trump

Washington announced on 19 December that it will be withdrawing its troops from Syria within the next 60 to 100 days. US President Donald Trump justified the move by stating that the American forces had achieved their goal of defeating Daesh* in the Arab state and can now return home.

At the same time, Trump's close ally in the Congress, Lindsey Graham, told reporters on 31 December that he had discussed the withdrawal with Trump over lunch and convinced him to reconsider the decision.

"[Trump] promised to destroy ISIS. He's going to keep that promise. We're not there yet. But as I said today, we're inside the 10-yard line and the president understands the need to finish the job", he said.

The decision to pull out the country's forces was not welcomed by some US officials and was followed by two resignations — US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, who announced that his views were no longer aligned with Trump's, and Brett McGurk, special presidential envoy for the US coalition in Syria.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia

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