Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Calls U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Syria a 'Tactical Change'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday that the withdrawal of American troops from Syria was a “tactical change” that wouldn’t hurt U.S. efforts against Islamist terrorism and ISIS, according to Reuters. Pompeo’s comments, made in United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi during a regional tour, come in the wake of President Trump’s snap decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, where they were helping Kurdish groups fight ISIS. He also expressed optimism that Turkey and Kurds in Syria could broker a “good outcome” over security concerns, according to Reuters. Kurdish groups fighting ISIS in Syria have worried that Turkish forces would attack them if U.S. troops leave. Turkey views the Kurdish YPG militia, which operates near its border, as a threat. Turkey’s President, Tayyip Erdogan, “has vowed to crush the group,” Reuters notes. “We recognize the Turkish people’s right to defend their country from terrorists, but we also know that those ... who are not terrorists and fighting alongside us for all this time deserve to be protected,” Pompeo reportedly said. Pompeo’s apparently positive outlook came after he spoke to Turkey’s foreign minister, according to the news agency.