20 December 2018•Update: 20 December 2018
By Nilay Kar Onum
ISTANBUL
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his decision to pull U.S. troops out of civil war-torn Syria should not surprise anyone, adding that it is "time for others to finally fight."
“Getting out of Syria was no surprise,” he wrote on Twitter. “I’ve been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer.”
“Russia, Iran, Syria & others are the local enemy of ISIS [Daesh]. We were doing there [sic] work,” he added. “Time to come home & rebuild.”
On Wednesday, Trump declared victory over the Daesh terrorist group in Syria, saying its defeat was the sole reason for the U.S. presence in the country.
“Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing?” he continued.
“Do we want to be there forever?” he asked, adding: “Time for others to finally fight.....”
The U.S. began its air campaign in Syria in 2014, deploying troops to the country to assist in the anti-Daesh fight alongside local partners the year after.
Trump's announcement came as a shock to many after several top administration officials, including National Security Advisor John Bolton, insisted the U.S. would not be removing its forces until Iran exited Syria.
The withdrawal on the eve of a possible Turkish counter-terrorism operation against the YPG/PKK in northeastern Syria. Since 2016 Ankara has carried out two similar counter-terrorist operations in northern Syria.
