Donald Trump 'ready to leave nearly 1,000 troops in Syria'

The US is preparing to leave nearly 1,000 troops in Syria, it was reported last night. Mr Trump announced a complete withdrawal in December, ending the US involvement in Syria, a country he described as little more than “sand and death”. It was an announcement which triggered the resignation of James Mattis, the Defence Secretary. Within weeks Mr Trump backtracked, amid pleas from both Republican and Democrats in Washington, who feared that pulling out all US forces could allow the defeated Islamic State to regroup. Earlier this month, Mr Trump told a bipartisan group that he agreed “100 per cent” with keeping a military presence in Syria. However, it was envisaged that the force would number no more than a few hundred troops.  The White House said initially that 200 peacekeepers would remain in Syria; however that figure edged up towards 400. Now, according to the Wall Street Journal, administration officials are drafting plans to maintain as many as 1,000 troops in Syria – roughly half the number who were in the country at the time of Mr Trump’s announcement. According to the latest reports the force would be stationed across Syria with some troops working alongside Kurdish forces. .