President Trump pays a surprise Christmastime visit to US military base in Iraq amid withdrawal from Syria

Baghdad – Within just a few days from the announcement of the US military withdrawal from Syria, US President Donald Trump visited Iraq. The whole world’s attention was drawn at the sudden, surprise visit. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the Al-Asad airbase in Iraq. Furthermore, President Trump interacted with the US soldiers on the base. Trump justified the military withdrawal from Syria and asserted that the decision would not compromise Israel’s security.

President Trump’s announcement of the US military withdrawal from Syria attracted significant political and strategic repercussions. US Secretary of Defense, James Mattis resigned from his position after voicing his disagreement with the decision. At the same time, President Trump’s opponents severely criticised the decision. Even France, which is a partner in the US action in Syria warned against the withdrawal calling it perilous. However, President Trump seems to have taken the decision after taking Turkey and Israel into confidence.

During the exchange with the US soldiers at the Al-Asad airbase, President Trump reminded them that the US military had entered Syria to finish the ISIS and that it was meaningless to keep the forces deployed after the defeat of the IS. He also clarified, ‘Although the decision to withdraw from Syria was taken, the United States has not ignored Israel’s security. The United States was providing aid of $4.5 billion to Israel every year which is used properly by them for self-defence. Israel is now fully capable of protecting itself. Even so, if at all Israel’s security was threatened, the United States would firmly stand behind them,” Trump asserted.

Trump believes that the US military withdrawal would not affect Israel’s security much. Nevertheless, Trump’s visit to Iraq has drawn the attention of the observers around the world. The Iraq visit is speculated to be connected with the US military withdrawal from Syria. However, no concrete information has surfaced in the regard.

US to build military bases in Anbar province

military withdrawal, visit, Melania Trump, IS, US military entered Syria, WW3, Syria, United States, Iraq, Israel The United States military has announced that the withdrawal from Syria would not affect its deployment in Iraq. Also, the United States would be building two new military bases in the Anbar province of Iraq, a senior Iraqi leader informed. The first base would be built in Iraq’s Al-Qa’im District near the Syrian border. The United States claimed that the base would aid in keeping a tab on the activities of IS and its connected terrorist organisations on the Iraq-Syria border.