American troops will remain in Syria for now to finish off Isil, the White House has said despite Donald Trump pushing for them to return home.
The United States remains “committed” to defeating the small amount of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) fighters “not already eradicated”, a statement from the White House confirmed on Wednesday.
However it also said the mission “is coming to a rapid end” and that countries in the region must help ensure the terror group does not re-emerge in the future.
The comment came after a week of confusion and behind-the-scenes debates over America’s Syria policy after Mr Trump said US troops would return home “very soon”.
The president has made public his desire to “get out” of Syria recently, even suggesting that Saudi Arabia should pay if they want the US to stay involved.
However US generals have said that the “hard part” in the battle against Isil is still to come and fear the jihadist group's resurgence should America disengage.
The debate comes after a string of military victories against Isil that has seen a dramatic fall in the amount of land it controls.
A carefully worded statement from Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, indicated that US soldiers would be remaining in Syria for now, while insisting the end of fighting was drawing near.
“The military mission to eradicate Isis in Syria is coming to a rapid end, with Isis being almost completely destroyed,” Ms Sanders said, using an alternative acronym for Isil.
“The United States and our partners remain committed to eliminating the small Isis presence in Syria that our forces have not already eradicated.
“We will continue to consult with our allies and friends regarding future plans. We expect countries in the region and beyond, plus the United Nations, to work toward peace and ensure that Isis never re-emerges.”
A White House official confirmed the statement meant that troops would be remaining in Syria for now. Around 2,000 US soldiers are currently based in the country.
The statement came after Mr Trump reiterated his desire for the troops to return home, saying on Tuesday hat the military mission is “close to 100 per cent” complete.
“I want to get out, I want to bring our troops back home. I want to start rebuilding our nation,” Mr Trump said when in a press conference.
He added: “It’s time. We were very successful against Isis, we will be successful against anybody militarily. But sometimes it’s time to come back home.”
Mr Trump said America had got “nothing except death and destruction” from the trillions of dollars it has spent in the Middle East in the last 17 years.
He also said his message to Saudi Arabia was: “If you want us to stay, maybe you’re going to have to pay.”
But in a sign of conflicting views in the Trump administration, Gen. Joseph L Votel, the head of the US Central Command, said that “the hard part, I think, is in front of” when it comes to defeating Isil.
The anti-Isil campaign, led by US-backed local Arab and Kurdish militias, has been largely suspended since mid-February, after the Kurdish fighters left to defend the city of Afrin from a Turkish assault.
With the operation in disarray and no clear stabilisation plan, there is a risk a resurgent Isil could take advantage of the vacuum.
One senior Kurdish source told The Daily Telegraph: “So the Americans work with us when they need something and then leave us to deal with the consequences? "That doesn’t sound like an ally to me. If Daesh returns, we can’t say we didn’t warn them.”