WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In a surprise visit to U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday, President Donald Trump told reporters he decided to withdraw troops from Syria despite generals requesting more time to combat the terrorist group ISIS in the war-torn country.
Trump said he initially wanted to pull U.S. troops out of Syria about a year and a half ago but agreed to the generals' request for more time.
Describing his conversations with generals, Trump indicated he agreed to extend the U.S. mission in Syria by six months on three separate occasions.
'And then they said again, recently, 'Could we have more time?' I said, 'Nope. You can't have any more time. You've got enough time,' Trump said.
Trump claimed his decision to deny the latest request for more time came as about 99 percent of the territory controlled by ISIS has been retaken.
'Now that we have done so, the nations of the region must step up and take more responsibility for their future,' Trump said in remarks to U.S. troops later in the day.
He added, 'And also, they have to confront those remnants of ISIS and take them out very easily - if, after we're totally finished, they're even left at all.'
Trump argued the nations of the region must step up and take responsibility for their future, because the U.S. cannot continue to be the policeman of the world.
'America shouldn't be doing the fighting for every nation on Earth not being reimbursed, in many cases, at all,' Trump said.
'If they want us to do the fighting, they also have to pay a price - and sometimes that's also a monetary price - so we're not the suckers of the world,' he added. 'We're no longer the suckers, folks. And people aren't looking at us as suckers.'
The president stressed that he has no plans to pull U.S. forces out of Iraq and suggested the troops there could respond to any ISIS resurgence in Syria.
Trump's decision to pull the approximately 2,000 troops out of Syria has drawn considerable criticism, including from his Republican allies like Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Disagreement over Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria also contributed to the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Trump noted he is in 'no rush' to nominate a permanent replacement for Mattis, telling reporters acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan 'could be there for a long time.'
'We have a lot of great people who want to be Secretary of Defense,' Trump said. 'We'll take our time and we'll make the right decision.'
During the trip to Iraq, Trump also discussed the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, reiterating that parts of the government will remain closed until Democratic lawmakers agree to provide funding for his controversial border wall.
'We need a wall. So when you say, 'How long is it going to take?' When are they going to say that we need border security? When are the Democrats going to say it?' Trump said.
'Don't forget, the Democrats all agreed that you need a wall, until I wanted it,' he added. 'Once I wanted it, they didn't agree.'
(Photo: Gage Skidmore)
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