French troops to remain in Syria amid US withdrawal

By Yusuf Ozcan

PARIS

France’s troops will remain in Syria, said French officials on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the pullout of U.S. soldiers from the civil war-torn country.

“For now, of course, we remain in Syria [militarily],” Nathalie Loiseau, France’s European affairs minister, told CNEWS television.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly said on social media that the terrorist group Daesh is now weaker than ever. Daesh lost more than 90 percent of its territory as well as its logistics ability, she added.

“Daesh has not been wiped from the map nor have its roots,” she said: “The last pockets of this terrorist organization must be defeated militarily.”

France reportedly has some 1,000 troops in Syria, half of the U.S. number before the pullout.

On Wednesday, Trump declared victory over Daesh in Syria, saying defeating it was the sole reason for the U.S. presence in the country.

Later, Trump said in a pre-recorded video message posted on Twitter: "It's time for our troops to come back home."

"Our boys, our young women, our men -- they're all coming back, and they're coming back now," he added.

The U.S. began its air campaign in Syria in 2014, deploying troops to the country to assist in the anti-Daesh fight alongside local partners the year after.

Reports have suggested all State Department personnel would depart Syria within the next 24 hours while U.S. forces will leave within 60 to 100 days.

The withdrawal comes on the eve of a possible Turkish military operation in northeastern Syria against the YPG/PKK terrorist group. Since 2016, Ankara has carried out two similar military operations in northern Syria.