Trump Makes Surprise Visit to American Troops in Iraq
The president spoke to a team of about 100 in general special forces personnel and one after the other with army leaders earlier than leaving a few hours later.
AL-ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq: President Donald Trump used a lightning visit to Iraq - his first with US troops in a war zone because being elected - to protect withdrawing from Syria and to declare an stop to America's position as the international "policeman."
Trump landed at 7.16pm nearby time at Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq, accompanied by his wife Melania, following what he described as a nerve-wracking, secrecy shrouded flight on a "pitch black" Air Force One.
The president spoke to a team of about 100 generally special forces personnel and separately with army leaders earlier than leaving a few hours later, an AFP correspondent said. A planned meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi used to be scrapped and changed by a phone call, the premier's office said.
White House video showed a smiling Trump shaking hands with camouflage-clad personnel, signing autographs and posing for photos.
Morale boosting presidential visits to US troops in war zones have been a longstanding tradition in the years following the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Trump has taken extensive criticism for declining to go to in the first two years of his presidency. But hypothesis had been mounting that he would subsequently make the gesture following his controversial selection to decrease troop tiers in Afghanistan and withdraw entirely from Syria.
At the Iraqi army base, Trump sought to defend his "America first" policy of pulling returned from multinational alliances, which include what to many Americans seem like the limitless wars of the Middle East.
"It's not fair when the burden is all on us," he said. "We don't want to be taken advantage of any more by countries that use us and use our outstanding army to protect them. They don't pay for it and they're going to have to."
"We are unfold out all over the world. We are in countries most people have not even heard about. Frankly, it is ridiculous," he added.
Trump advised reporters he had overruled generals asking to extend the Syria deployment, the place about 2,000 US forces and different overseas troops generally assist local fighters battling the Islamic State militant group.
"You can't have any extra time. You've had enough time," he said he told the top brass.
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| President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet military personnel during an unannounced visit to Al-Asad Air Base, Iraq on Wednesday. |
AL-ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq: President Donald Trump used a lightning visit to Iraq - his first with US troops in a war zone because being elected - to protect withdrawing from Syria and to declare an stop to America's position as the international "policeman."
Trump landed at 7.16pm nearby time at Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq, accompanied by his wife Melania, following what he described as a nerve-wracking, secrecy shrouded flight on a "pitch black" Air Force One.
The president spoke to a team of about 100 generally special forces personnel and separately with army leaders earlier than leaving a few hours later, an AFP correspondent said. A planned meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi used to be scrapped and changed by a phone call, the premier's office said.
White House video showed a smiling Trump shaking hands with camouflage-clad personnel, signing autographs and posing for photos.
Morale boosting presidential visits to US troops in war zones have been a longstanding tradition in the years following the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Trump has taken extensive criticism for declining to go to in the first two years of his presidency. But hypothesis had been mounting that he would subsequently make the gesture following his controversial selection to decrease troop tiers in Afghanistan and withdraw entirely from Syria.
At the Iraqi army base, Trump sought to defend his "America first" policy of pulling returned from multinational alliances, which include what to many Americans seem like the limitless wars of the Middle East.
"It's not fair when the burden is all on us," he said. "We don't want to be taken advantage of any more by countries that use us and use our outstanding army to protect them. They don't pay for it and they're going to have to."
"We are unfold out all over the world. We are in countries most people have not even heard about. Frankly, it is ridiculous," he added.
Trump advised reporters he had overruled generals asking to extend the Syria deployment, the place about 2,000 US forces and different overseas troops generally assist local fighters battling the Islamic State militant group.
"You can't have any extra time. You've had enough time," he said he told the top brass.
TIME TO WITHDRAW AMERICAN TROOPS IN IRAQ?
The drawdowns - and the abrupt way that they were announced - helped lead to the resignation of Trump's defense secretary, Jim Mattis, who has been one of the administration's key heavyweights. |
| US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet members of the US military during an unannounced trip to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. |
In his strangely forcefully worded resignation letter, Mattis regarded to chide Trump when he stressed his own "strongly held" views on "treating allies with recognize and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors."
Trump has additionally taken flak from France and different foreign partners and senior figures in his personal Republican party.
However, the president has made disentangling America from its wars a precedence because his 2016 election and he stated in Iraq that the US would no longer be treated as "suckers," CNN reported.
The Islamic State group, which once managed swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, has been driven generally into hiding.
On Wednesday, Trump stated "we've knocked them out," even though he appeared to hedge his bets - following huge criticism that his victory declaration is untimely - when he introduced that Iraq might be used as a future base for operations in Syria, CNN reported.
In Afghanistan, Trump wants to withdraw about half of of the 14,000 troopers locked in a struggle against Taliban guerrillas that has long resembled a stalemate.
The Iraq outing will additionally go some way to ending criticism over Trump's failure to meet soldiers on the ground, even as he again and again touts his assist for the army in marketing campaign rallies.
And it offers some distraction from a rising tide of home political problems, which includes the government shutdown caused by Trump's row with Congress over funding for a US-Mexico border wall. Pressure is also mounting from a collection of crook probes into Trump's finances and links to Russia.
According to Trump, the flight into Iraq was not like something he'd earlier experienced.
"If you would have considered what we had to go through in the darkened airplane with all window closed with no light somewhere - pitch black," he said.
"I've been on many airplanes. All types and shapes and sizes."
"So did I have a concern? Yes I had a concern."
Trump has additionally taken flak from France and different foreign partners and senior figures in his personal Republican party.
However, the president has made disentangling America from its wars a precedence because his 2016 election and he stated in Iraq that the US would no longer be treated as "suckers," CNN reported.
The Islamic State group, which once managed swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, has been driven generally into hiding.
On Wednesday, Trump stated "we've knocked them out," even though he appeared to hedge his bets - following huge criticism that his victory declaration is untimely - when he introduced that Iraq might be used as a future base for operations in Syria, CNN reported.
In Afghanistan, Trump wants to withdraw about half of of the 14,000 troopers locked in a struggle against Taliban guerrillas that has long resembled a stalemate.
The Iraq outing will additionally go some way to ending criticism over Trump's failure to meet soldiers on the ground, even as he again and again touts his assist for the army in marketing campaign rallies.
And it offers some distraction from a rising tide of home political problems, which includes the government shutdown caused by Trump's row with Congress over funding for a US-Mexico border wall. Pressure is also mounting from a collection of crook probes into Trump's finances and links to Russia.
According to Trump, the flight into Iraq was not like something he'd earlier experienced.
"If you would have considered what we had to go through in the darkened airplane with all window closed with no light somewhere - pitch black," he said.
"I've been on many airplanes. All types and shapes and sizes."
"So did I have a concern? Yes I had a concern."
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