By AFPMore by this AuthorWASHINGTONThe order to withdraw American troops from Syria has been signed, the US military said Sunday, after President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart agreed to prevent a power vacuum in the wake of the controversial move. "The execute order for Syria has been signed," a US military spokesperson told AFP when asked about the withdrawal order, without providing further details. French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said he "deeply regretted" Trump's decision, and that "an ally must be reliable." Days later, special envoy McGurk made a similar move, saying he could not support Trump's Syria decision that he said "left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered." Unlike Mattis, Shanahan has never served in the military and has spent most of his career in the private sector.

Source: Daily Nation December 24, 2018 06:21 UTC