Reuters reports:

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States would get out of Syria “over a period of time” and wants to protect the U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in the country as Washington draws down troops.

Trump did not provide a timetable for the planned military exit from Syria, which he announced last month against the advice of top national security aides and without consulting lawmakers or U.S. allies participating in anti-Islamic State operations.

The decision prompted Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to resign.

During a Cabinet meeting at the White House in front of reporters, Trump said he had never discussed a reported four-month timetable for the withdrawal of 2,000 American troops stationed in Syria amid a battle against Islamic State militants.

In recent days, Trump appeared to back off from any hasty pullout and stressed that the operation would be slow. “We’re slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting Isis [Islamic State] remnants,” he said on Twitter on Monday. [Continue reading…]

Trump on Withdrawal/No Withdrawal from Syria:

•Dec 19: US Leaves in 30 days; ISIS Defeated
•Dec 22: ISIS largely defeated
•Dec 23: Withdrawal will be slow
•Dec 26: Let’s get out of Syria
•Dec 31: No Rush
•Jan 2: Over a period of time… https://t.co/KrhLWtWBEc

— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) January 2, 2019