FOREIGN POLICY/IRAQ/ISIS/MILITARY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. military began the process of withdrawing its troops from Syria following a drawdown ordered by President Donald Trump, a military official said Friday [1-11-19]. Col. Sean Ryan, a spokesman for the U.S.-coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, declined to discuss specific operational details of the pullout such as timings and troop movements, but said in an email the withdrawal was underway. About 2,000 U.S. troops are in Syria. The military has moved some cargo from Syria already, according to a U.S. Defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. Trump’s order is for a complete withdrawal of troops and their equipment. The troops in Syria have weapons, communication equipment and vehicles that will need to be moved. Planning is underway to identify facilities that can handle the equipment, the official said. No troops have left yet. It could take months to complete the withdrawal.”
–Kim Hjelmgaard, “U.S. starts withdrawing from Syria amid policy confusion,” USA Today, January 11, 2019 11:44 am