WASHINGTIN – A top US general – who is in charge of military operations inthe Middle East – says he “was not consulted” prior to President DonaldTrump’s announcement about the US troop withdrawal from Syria.
US Army General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military’s CentralCommand, said on Tuesday that he had not been asked for advice by Trump ona decision that 2,000 American troops stationed in Syria would be pulledout of the war-torn country.
“I was not aware of the specific announcement. Certainly we are aware thathe had expressed a desire and intent in the past to depart Iraq, departSyria,” Votel said during a hearing held by the Senate Armed ServicesCommittee.
Pressed further by Senator Angus King (I-Maine) on whether he was consultedahead of Trump’s December announcement, Votel replied, “I was notconsulted.”
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On December 19, Trump claimed victory against Daesh terrorists in Syria andannounced that he was planning to pull out some 2,000 US troops from theconflict-torn Arab country, and also cut in half the roughly 14,000American forces in Afghanistan.
