U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan speaks at the annual Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 15, 2019. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert
Reuters: Acting Pentagon chief says committed to defeating Islamic State, but allies skeptical
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Friday the United States was committed to defeating Islamic State in the Middle East and beyond, but officials said European allies were skeptical of Washington’s pledges.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement in December that he was withdrawing all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria surprised and rattled allies. U.S. officials have crisscrossed the Middle East in recent weeks to reassure them that Washington remains committed to the region.
Trump’s Syria decision was opposed by top aides, including then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who quit, leaving his deputy Shanahan in charge of the Pentagon.
“While the time for U.S. troops on the ground in northeast Syria winds down, the United States remains committed to our coalition’s cause, the permanent defeat of ISIS, both in the Middle East and beyond,” Shanahan said after a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
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Update: US: Time to expand the international coalition against IS (AP)
WNU Editor: America's allies are reluctant to get involved since the U.S. is leaving .... US struggles to convince anti-IS allies to secure Syria after it leaves (Channel News Asia/AFP).
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