The U.S. has started withdrawing troops from Syria, Pentagon says in surprise announcement

U.S. military vehicles drive through a checkpoint in Syria — (Image credit: Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty Images)

Early Friday, a Pentagon spokesman said that the U.S. has begun withdrawing its 2,000 troops from Syria, just days after National Security Adviser John Bolton said President Trump's withdrawal plan was contingent on certain objectives being met, suggesting a longer time frame. Col. Sean Ryan, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, said the U.S. has "begun the process of our deliberate withdrawal from Syria," and there will be no further information about "specific timelines, locations, or troop movements."

The U.S. and its Kurdish allies have slowly pushed back ISIS, and Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey all want the oil-rich quarter of Syria now under U.S. control. Turkey has amassed troops on the border specifically to attack the Kurds.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.