'I was not aware' before Trump made his troop-pullout announcement, he added, while saying that Central Command was 'aware he had expressed a desire and intent in the past ... to depart Syria.' Votel's remarks represent the latest warning by current and former U.S. officials about the risk of a resurgence by ISIS following a planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria that Trump ordered in December. Trump's Syria withdrawal has also fueled rare, vocal opposition from within his own Republican party. A source close to Trump said the president will declare the militant group all but defeated and will discuss his planned Syria drawdown. It is unclear whether Trump's triumphant tone will echo the warnings coming from different parts of his administration, including Votel's Central Command and the U.S. military.

Source: Daily Mail February 05, 2019 20:27 UTC