US troops exiting Syria to stay 'temporarily' in Iraq: Pentagon Chief

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on October 22 that the American troops withdrawing from Syria will temporarily stay in Iraq before getting back to the United States. While speaking to global media, he said that the US security forces are moving out in stages and now they shifted from the immediate danger zone to a northeastern passage of the country. The Pentagon chief then said after that they will be having another phase which will pull out the remaining troops out from there. The US forces will be temporarily positioned in Iraq before they return to their homeland. A large number of armoured vehicles reached a base in Iraq's Kurdistan on October 21.

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Some troops to remain in Syria

Esper was asked about US President Donald Trump's comment on Monday that some of the troops were being deployed in Syria to safeguard their oilfields. He responded saying that the matter is under discussion for now and it needs to be done soon. The US President did not approve on the plan as for now, Esper said. He added that in the case of deployment, his objective is to keep his options as well as the president's options open, so by any chance if situations change on the land of Syria or any other part, they have the flexibility to respond to the president's position. 

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America won't go for war against a NATO ally

Esper repeated Donald Trump's defence of abandonment of the Kurdish fighters who had to bear the consequences of the American campaign against the Islamic State in Syria. These fighters were pushed to run away from the cities which they run in Syria amid the Turkish offensive against them. He stated that America was against the Turkish invasion but they will not go for a war opposite a NATO ally for a land that they did not sign up to defend at first. There are 5,200 American troops in Iraq presently as a part of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State. The presence of these American soldiers in Iraq has been discussed a lot over there. The Iranian Shiite militias supporters and politicians keep making demands regularly for the withdrawal of these troops. 

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(With inputs from agencies)