The US Defense Department is planning to pull all American troops out of Syria, two defense officials told NBC News on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump and his close advisors have recently shown interest in withdrawing US forces from Syria, prompting Pentagon officials to begin developing plans for a full exit within 30, 60, or 90 days.
Mike Waltz, Trump’s new national security adviser, spent Friday at US Central Command's headquarters in Tampa, Florida, where he met with senior military leaders and received briefings on the Middle East, according to US defense sources.
A White House official clarified that discussions regarding a potential reduction of US forces in Syria were not part of the briefing or the main purpose of Waltz’s visit.
“It’s good for NSA Waltz to visit CENTCOM to understand the broader region,” the official said, noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday, and Jordan’s King Abdullah is scheduled to visit next week.
Last Thursday, Trump responded to a reporter’s question about reports that he had informed Israel of plans to pull US troops from Syria.
“I don’t know who said that. I mean, I don’t know who said that, but we’ll make a determination on that. We’re not getting involved in Syria,” Trump said. “Syria is its own mess. They have enough issues over there. They don’t need us involved in everything.”