Trump travels to Delaware base to honor four Americans killed in Syria

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday to receive the remains of four Americans killed in a suicide bombing in northern Syria.

U.S. President Donald Trump walks with (L-R) Colonel Dawn Lancaster, Commander of the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations, Chief Master Sergeant Danielle Hirvela, Chief Enlisted Manager of Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations and Chief Master Sergeant Anthony Green, Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base as he arrives to attend dignified transfer ceremonies for the remains of four U.S. military members and citizens killed during a recent attack in Syria that are now being returned to the United States, in Dover, Delaware, U.S., January 19, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Trump, locked in a battle with congressional Democrats that has led to a nearly month-long partial government shutdown, announced his trip via a predawn tweet, saying he was going “to be with the families of 4 very special people who lost their lives in service to our Country!”

Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House prior to departure that he planned to meet the families, a duty which he said “might be the toughest thing I have to do as president.”

He was greeted by military staff at Dover Air Force Base after a short flight from Joint Base Andrews, but did not speak to reporters before entering his motorcade.

The Dover base is a traditional hub for returning the remains of American troops abroad.

The United States believes the attack that killed the Americans was the work of Islamic State militants.

Trump announced last month that he planned to speedily withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, but has since said it does not need to go quickly as he tries to ensure safety of Kurdish allies in northern Syria who are at risk of attack from neighboring Turkey.

Trump told reporters on Saturday that his Syria policy has made progress but that some work remained in destroying Islamic State targets. He defended his plans for a withdrawal.

“It’s moving along very well, but when I took over it was a total mess. But you do have to ask yourself, we’re killing ISIS for Russia, for Iran, for Syria, for Iraq, for a lot of other places. At some point you want to bring our people back home,” he said.

Army Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida; Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician Shannon Kent, 35, identified as being from upstate New York; and Scott Wirtz, a civilian Department of Defense employee from St. Louis, died during the Wednesday attack in Manbij, Syria, the Department of Defense said in a statement.

The Pentagon did not identify the fourth person killed, a contractor working for a private company.

Reporting by Alexandra Alper: Writing by Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Leslie Adler

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source: reuters.com