Jerusalem is raising red flags over Washington’s planned troop reduction in Syria.
By World Israel News Staff
Israel has expressed its concerns to the United States regarding a planned withdrawal of American troops from Syria, months after Islamist rebel groups ousted longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Many of the rebel groups involved in the takeover of Syria, including the interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, were previously affiliated with the Al-Qaeda and ISIS terrorist organizations.
Currently, there are some 2,000 American soldiers in Syria, mostly concentrated in the northeast region of the country.
An American source told the Reuters news agency that the Trump administration intends to reduce that number by half, leaving just 1,000 soldiers on the ground.
A different US official told Reuters that the number of troops will be slashed, but by less than 50 percent.
Israel told Washington it is alarmed by the prospect of the US scaling back its presence in Syria.
An Israeli official said to Reuters it is concerned that a potential power vacuum will be created when US troops leave.
Jerusalem fears that Turkey – which has expressed open hostility towards the Jewish State in recent years – may exert more influence over the embattled country after the American withdrawal.
As part of his political platform, Trump pledged on the 2024 campaign trail that he would reduce American involvement in foreign wars.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is currently reviewing the distribution of US troops and military assets throughout the world.
Speaking in Poland in February, Hegseth signaled that the US is not guaranteed to always maintain a military presence in foreign countries.
He urged European countries to begin taking responsibility for their own security.
“Now is the time to invest because you can’t make an assumption that America’s presence will last forever,” Hegseth said.
“What happens five, 10, 15 years from now is part of a larger discussion that reflects the threat level, America’s posture, our needs around the globe, but most importantly, the capability of European countries to step up.”
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