WASHINGTON – Claiming new progress against Islamic State extremists in Syria, President Donald Trump said Friday that some European nations are now willing to take responsibility for detained IS fighters who are from their countries.
“Anyway, big progress being made!!!!” he exclaimed on Twitter. A day earlier, he had proclaimed a U.S.-brokered cease-fire deal with Turkey marked “a great day for civilization,” though the deal’s effect was largely to mitigate a foreign policy crisis widely seen to be of his own making.
At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said U.S. troops are continuing their withdrawal from northern Syria. He also said no U.S. ground troops will participate in enforcing or monitoring the cease-fire Vice President Mike Pence announced Thursday in Ankara.
“The force protection of our service members remains our top priority and, as always, U.S. forces will defend themselves from any threat as we complete our withdrawal from the area,” Esper told reporters.
In a series of tweets, Trump said he had spoken Friday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid reports fighting actually had not ended.