US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Joseph Votel said in an interview on Friday that he disagrees with President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria given that the Islamic State (outlawed in Russia) terror group's infrastructure is still in place
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2019) US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Joseph Votel said in an interview on Friday that he disagrees with President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria given that the Islamic State (outlawed in Russia) terror group's infrastructure is still in place."It would not have been my military advice at that particular time ... I would not have made that suggestion, frankly," Votel told CNN in an interview from Oman. "[The Islamic State] still has leaders, still has fighters, it still has facilitators, it still has resources, so our continued military pressure is necessary to continue to go after that network."
On December 19, Trump announced that the Islamic State terror group had been defeated in Syria and said the United States would pull all US troops from that country.
Votel said during the interview that he would only have declared the Islamic State defeated if he were sure the terror group no longer posed a threat.
"When I say, 'we have defeated them,' I want to ensure that means they do not have the capability to plot or direct attacks against the US or our allies. They still have this very powerful ideology, so they can inspire," Votel said.
Votel also said the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are not ready to deal with the Islamic State threat without continued US assistance.
That inability to deal with the Islamic State is another key criteria indicating the United States has not accomplished its mission to defeat the Islamic State, Votel added.
