WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump reaffirmed, in an interview airingSunday, his determination to pull US troops out of “endless wars” in Syriaand Afghanistan, but said they should stay in Iraq to watch Iran.
Trump cited the high cost in blood and money after years of fighting inAfghanistan, in arguing for a US withdrawal from the place where the 9/11attacks were hatched.
“It’s time,” he said in the interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “Andwe’ll see what happens with the Taliban. They want peace. They’re tired.Everybody’s tired.”
US officials have been holding talks in Qatar with the Taliban on aframework for peace negotiations, raising prospects for a breakthrough inthe 17-year-old conflict.
On Syria, Trump said the 2,000 US troops in the country would leave “in amatter of time” but cited the need to protect Israel “and other things thatwe have” for slowing down after initially announcing an immediate pull-out.
He said he will soon be announcing the recapture of “100 percent of thecaliphate” once claimed by the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
“We’re at 99 percent right now, we’ll be at 100,” said the president, whowas expected to make the announcement during his annual State of the Unionaddress on Tuesday.
He said, however, the United States will not give up its bases in Iraq.
“We spent a fortune on building this incredible base. We might as well keepit. And one of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to belooking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem,” he said.
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“We have an unbelievable and expensive military base built in Iraq. It’sperfectly situated for looking at all over different parts of the troubledMiddle East rather than pulling up,” he added.
“We’re going to keep watching and we’re going to keep seeing and if there’strouble, if somebody is looking to do nuclear weapons or other things,we’re going to know it before they do,” he said.
Trump’s comments come in the face of warnings by US intelligence chiefsthat a precipitous US withdrawal from Afghanistan and Syria could allow aresurgence by Al-Qaeda and IS.
On Thursday, the US Senate voted overwhelmingly for a measure sponsored byMitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader, warning against a“precipitous withdrawal” from Afghanistan and Syria.
Trump said he would leave intelligence in Afghanistan “and if I see nestsforming, I’ll do something about it.”
“We got to get out of these endless wars and bring our folks back home,” hesaid at another point. “Now, that doesn’t mean we’re not going to bewatching with intelligence. We’re going to be watching, and watchingclosely.” – APP/AFP
