Trump announced on his Twitter page that US troops in Syria are starting their pullout "while hitting the little remaining ISIS [Daesh*]' terrorists 'from many directions", adding that US "will attack again from existing nearby base if it [Daesh terrorist group] reforms".
Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions. Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019
In tweets, Trump claimed that 'Russia, Iran and Syria have been the biggest beneficiaries of the long term U.S. policy of destroying ISIS in Syria'.
The US president also warned that it 'will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds'.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier this month said that ensuring the Turkish military does not massacre the Kurds would be a key priority for the United States following the Pentagon's withdrawal of its troops from Syria.
A US-led coalition of over 70 member-nations has been conducting military operations against the Daesh terror group in Syria and Iraq. Coalition strikes in Syria are neither authorized by the government of President Bashar Assad nor by the United Nations Security Council.
READ MORE: Damascus Confirms Talks With Kurds Intensified Due to Threats by Turkey
Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting opposition groups and terrorist organizations. Since 2015, Russian forces have been supporting the Syrian army in its fight against terrorism. In late 2017, a defeat of Daesh in the Middle Eastern country was declared. Syrian government forces that have regained control over the majority of territories once controlled by terrorists are still fighting against remaining militants in some areas.
*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State), is a terrorist group banned in Russia, the US and many other countries
