The United States secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday, resigned as President Donald Trump has escalate a backlash at home and also home when he suddenly decided to pull out 2,000 US troops from Syria.
Trump has withdrawn US-strong forces from Syria and vowed that the US would no longer be a “policemen of the Middle East” and with a saying that the Islamic States had been now defeated and declared victory over ISIS.
According to news reports, in a letter to Trump, Mattis wrote: “Because you have the right to have a Secretary of defence whose views are better aligned with yours.”
Mattis further wrote:” I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.”
Mattis wrote: “My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues.”
Mattis resignation comes after a journal from The Wall Street reported that Trump was considering to drawdown in much larger US-Afghanistan operation. Trump has on twitter, wrote that defence secretary has achieved “tremendous progress”.
However, Mattis would continue to hold his position till February, giving time to Trump to think of Mattis successor, who can be elected by the senate.
After withdrawal of US troops from Syria, Trump took it to twitter to defend his surprise declaration of victory over ISIS and its withdrawal saying others should now lead the battle of Syria.
In a tweet, Trump wrote: “Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight.”
Some of republicans and US allies strongly opposed and criticized Trump’s statement and decision saying that the move now would strengthened the hand of Iran and Russia, who supports Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
Trump tweeted: “ISIS hits us they are doomed!”
Top republican Mac Thornberry and democrat on the house armed services committee Adam Smith, came together on Thursday, and expressed their concerns with a saying that US troop’s withdrawal would be a “strategic error” which could endangered Kurdish allies and also empowers rivals Iran and Russia.
In a joint statement, they wrote: “ISIS was and still remains a lethal threat to America’s security and will seek to inspire threats to the homeland from safe havens around the world.”
Democratic US senator Chris Murphy tweeted, to respond Trump’s tweet: “Wait a minute… I thought we defeated ISIS. Why would Russia, Iran and Syria have to fight them if they’re defeated?”
During an annual year-end conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “The fact that the US has decided to withdraw its troops is right,” adding that “on the whole I agree with the US president” over the damage on Islamic state.