US defense secretary quits over troop withdrawalhome/News/World/US defense secretary quits over troop withdrawalWASHINGTON, D.C.: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned Thursday (Friday in Manila), leading a chorus of protests at home and abroad after President Donald Trump ordered a complete troop pullout from Syria and a significant withdrawal from Afghanistan. Mattis, a battle-hardened retired four-star general, seen as a moderating force on the often impulsive president, made little attempt to hide his disagreements with Trump. One day after the surprise announcement on Syria, a US official told AFP that Trump had also decided on a “significant withdrawal” in a much larger US operation — Afghanistan. The US withdrawal will make Russia, which has deployed its air power in support of President Bashar al-Assad, the pre-eminent global power in the Syrian conflict. Turkey opposes Assad and may be emboldened by Trump to attack Kurdish fighters inside Syria, who fought alongside US troops against the Islamic State group.

Source: Manila Times December 22, 2018 02:26 UTC