Report: U.S. military is abruptly leaving Syria

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Washington Post reports today that in an abrupt reversal, the U.S. military is preparing to withdraw its forces from northeastern Syria, a move that throws the American strategy in the Middle East into turmoil.

U.S. officials began informing partners in northeastern Syria of their plans to begin immediately pulling American forces out of the region where they have been trying to wrap up the campaign against Islamic State, people familiar with the matter said today.

The move follows a call last week between President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has threatened to launch an assault on America’s Kurdish partners in Syria.