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US envoy Brett McGurk quits over Trump Syria pullout | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The top US official in the fight against the Islamic State group has quit over President Trump's decision to pull troops from Syria, reports say. | The top US official in the fight against the Islamic State group has quit over President Trump's decision to pull troops from Syria, reports say. |
Brett McGurk had planned to leave his role next year but brought his departure forward, CBS and AP reported. | Brett McGurk had planned to leave his role next year but brought his departure forward, CBS and AP reported. |
Before Mr Trump's announcement he had insisted that the US would continue working against IS in Syria. | Before Mr Trump's announcement he had insisted that the US would continue working against IS in Syria. |
"We want to stay on the ground and make sure that stability can be maintained in these areas," he had said. | "We want to stay on the ground and make sure that stability can be maintained in these areas," he had said. |
He went on to say: "It would be reckless if we were just to say, well, the physical caliphate is defeated, so we can just leave now. I think anyone who's looked at a conflict like this would agree with that." | |
Mr McGurk's departure follows the abrupt resignation of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, who had opposed withdrawing troops from Syria and reducing the US presence in Afghanistan. | |
Gen Mattis said the president had the right to appoint someone "whose views are better aligned with yours". | |
Both Republicans and Democrats voiced concern at Gen Mattis's resignation, with Senators Mitch McConnell and Marco Rubio saying it was distressing and damaging to the US on the world stage. |