US troops to withdraw from Syria to Iraq in four weeks: Iraq

Following a meeting in Baghdad with visiting US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday, Iraq's defense minister Najah al-Shammari said that American troops will be withdrawing from Syria to Iraq within four weeks. The defense minister made the remarks to an international media agency after the meeting Esper, who was in Baghdad to discuss the status of the US troops. He said that the American troops are heading to Iraq and will make further movements either to Kuwait, Qatar, or back to the United States “within a time frame not exceeding four weeks”.

READ: Iraq: American Troops Leaving Syria Cannot Stay In Iraq

American forces would continue operations: Iraqi military

Contradicting Esper who said all US troops leaving Syria would continue operations against the Islamic State group from Iraq, Iraq's military in a statement on Tuesday said that US forces leaving northeastern Syria do not have permission to stay in Iraq. Iraq's military said that American forces would continue operations against ISIS to prevent its resurgence in the region. Esper said on Tuesday that the US is eventually planning to bring its troops withdrawing from Syria back to the US. Though he did not give any timelines. The US officials said that the forces will come back to Ain al-Assad in western Iraq, and start operations against Syria and ISIL from there.

READ: US Troops Leaving Syria To Be Deployed In Iraq, Says Defence Chief

US President Donald Trump widely criticised

US President Donald Trump has been widely criticised for withdrawing troops from the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia. It spearheaded the American-led ground war against ISIL by pulling out American forces and allowing Turkey to launch cross border military tensions against the group in northeast Syria. Later on Tuesday, Russia and Turkey announced a deal to allow the YPG to withdraw 30km (19 miles) away from the border with Turkey, after which Moscow and Ankara will launch joint military patrols around the area. Thousands of Syrian refugees in Turkey will be sent home.

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