US to end air war against Daesh in Syria: report

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON

The U.S. will end its four-year air campaign against Daesh in Syria, Reuters reported Thursday after President Donald Trump declared victory over the terrorist group.

Trump ordered all of the U.S.'s forces in Syria to withdraw from the country on Wednesday, saying Daesh's defeat was his sole reason for being in the war-torn country.

The announced withdrawal did not necessarily include an end to the air war, with the U.S. largely basing its air assets outside of Syria, particularly in Turkey, Iraq and Qatar.

If confirmed, the end of the air war is likely to further energize opposition to Trump's decision.

The Pentagon did not comment directly on the latest development, but said: "As long as there are U.S. troops on the ground we will conduct air and artillery strikes in support of our forces."

"We will not speculate on future operations," spokesman Cmdr. Sean Robertson said in a statement.

Trump's decision had already spurred outcry from some of Trump's closest allies on Capitol Hill who warned far more work remains in the anti-Daesh fight.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, one such lawmaker, joined with five of his senate colleagues in writing a letter to the president warning against removing U.S. forces, a decision they called "premature" and "costly."

"If you follow through with your decision to pull our troops out of Syria, any remnants of ISIS in Syria will surely renew and embolden their efforts in the region," they wrote, using another name for Daesh.

"However, ISIS is not the only threat," they said. "The brutal dictatorship of Bashar al Assad continues to weigh heavily upon the Syrian people, and we fear that a withdrawal of our troops may embolden Bashar al Assad to take further action to solidify his power."

Trump's announcement came as a surprise to many following remarks from his senior officials, including National Security Advisor John Bolton, who had maintained the U.S. would not draw down in Syria until Iran exited the country.

In their letter, the senators argued the "premature" withdraw would be a boon to Iran and Russia - Assad's principal allies.

"Your administration must not repeat the same mistakes that previous administrations have made and concede to these bad actors," they wrote.

Trump responded to the criticism on Twitter, saying it is "so hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$."

"Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them, Russia, Iran & other locals? Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!" he said.

*Kasim Ileri contributed to this report