US General sees need for continued US military presence in Syria
Speaking at the Washington-based US Institute of Peace, General Joseph Votel, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said that American armed forces presence in Syria will be needed to stabilize the situation in regions liberated from terrorists, aid the return of civilians to their homes, and support the country’s long-term reconstruction. Votel’s area of operational responsibility includes the Middle East, East Africa and Central Asia.
“A lot of good military progress [has been] made over the last couple of years, but again the hard part I think is in front of us; and that is stabilizing these areas, consolidating their gains, getting people back into their homes, addressing the long-term issues of reconstruction, and other things that will have to be done…and there is certainly a military role in this,” he said. At the same time, Votel noted that the situation in Syria is becoming “far more complicated.”
US President Donald Trump previously said that the US needs to withdraw American troops from Syria as soon as possible.