Protesting Trump, US anti-IS coalition envoy resigns
Believing that Washington's mission in Syria is not yet complete, the US anti-IS coalition envoy resigned in protest of the withdrawal of troops from Syria.
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| Brett McGurk in Amman November 2016. |
Brett McGurk, 45, submitted his resignation to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on December 21. He will leave his position on December 31, according toAFP.
Last week, McGurk said “nobody is declaring mission accomplished” in the fight against IS, days before Trump, ignoring advice from aides and allies, declared victory over IS and withdrew all 2,000 troops from Syria. US Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned over disagreements with Trump on the issue.
McGurk had planned to leave his post in February next year, but Trump's decision to withdraw troops has left him so disgruntled that he wants to end his job by the end of the year. A source said Mattis' resignation had a big impact on McGruk.
McGurk was appointed by Obama as presidential envoy to the global coalition against IS in 2015. He has played a key role in shaping Washington's policy in northern Syria, particularly its support for the Kurdish and Arab militia alliance the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) over the past three years.
The coalition has scored significant victories against IS in northern Syria, retaking key cities like Raqqa, once the IS stronghold. But McGurk, along with other US government agencies, believes the fight against the militant group is far from over.
