Presence.

This is coolbert:

Backstab?

"The US will still 'maintain a presence' after troop pullout from NE Syria"

As was originally posted 22 December of last year but has now been updated with regard to most recent developments.

"Following the backlash from President Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from NE Syria, senior administration officials Friday night, Dec. 21 offered Mid East leaders clarifications for allaying their concerns."

Clarifications as perhaps most needed in the case of those coalition forces as allied with the American military in the struggle with the Islamic State.

In particular the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces] and even further and more pertinent the Kurdish fighters that comprise the bulk [?] of the SDF combat forces. Without the Kurds the battle against the Islamic State could not have won? A debt of gratitude is owed all SDF combatants.

The great fear the back-stab as deemed. A hasty and ill-thought-out American withdrawal placing the SDF in great danger.

* American presence to be diminished but not totally eliminated.
* Withdrawal of American combat units not to be precipitous but phased.
* Further Turkish intervention not to be so extreme as anticipated.
* Allied forces [Iraqi] in the region positioned for rapid reaction if needed.

coolbert.