Damascus Hasn't Received Official Info on US Troops' Withdrawal – Syrian Envoy

By Editor On Apr 6, 2018

Last week, US President Donald Trump announced that the United States would leave Syria “very soon” and let other countries “take care of it,” however, the US Defense Department did not confirm these withdrawal plans.
On US Withdrawal Plans
Syria’s Envoy to UN Bashar Jaafari stated that Damascus had not recieved any official information on Trump’s plans to pull out US forces from the country.
The US-led coalition is fighting the Daesh terrorist group in Syria without mandate from the UN or permission of the Syrian government. According to some estimates, some 2,000 American servicemen are currently deployed in the country.
Last week, Donald Trump revealed that the US would soon withdraw from Syria, however, there was no confirmation from the president’s administration or the Pentagon. On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his stance, adding that these plans will be discussed with coalitions’ allies and countries of the region.
On Turkey’s Military Operation in Northern Syria
“Turkey must withdraw its forces from Afrin. I hope that some pressure will be exerted on the Turkish government over this demand,” Jaafari said.
The envoy also expressed hope that the Russia-Iran-Turkey talks on Syrian resolution will lead to Turkey’s pullout from Syria.
“We hope that this trilateral mechanism will exert necessary pressure on the Turkish government to withdraw its forces from northern Syria which is currently occupied by Turkish forces,” he told reporters.
On April 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to continue military operation in Syria until Kurdish forces leave Syria’s Manbij region, though reiterating the necessity to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity.
On ‘Israeli Occupation of Golan Heights’
The envoy stressed that Syria “would never put up with Israeli occupation of Golan Heights.”
On Syrian Constitutional Commission
Damascus is still working on its list of candidates to the Syrian constitutional commission in cooperation with Moscow and Tehran, the timeframe is still unclear, Jaafari said.
“No, no, the work is still underway,” Jaafari said on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement ministerial conference, when asked whether Damascus had submitted its list of candidates to the constitutional commission.
When asked about the timeframe for the work related to the commission’s launch, the diplomat said that it was still unclear, noting that Damascus was “working with both Russia and Iran on this.”
Sputnik