Pompeo reassures allies of U.S. commitments in Syria, Iraq

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a gathering of foreign ministers aligned toward the defeat of Islamic State at the State Department in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday reassured allies that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria was not “the end of America’s fight” and called on them to recommit to permanently defeating Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Addressing roughly 79 coalition partners, gathered in Washington to discuss next steps in the conflict in Syria, Pompeo said Islamic State remained a menace.

“The U.S. troops withdrawing from Syria is not the end of America’s fight. The fight is one we will continue to wage alongside you,” Pompeo said in opening remarks. “The drawdown in troops is essentially a tactical change, it is not a change in the mission. It simply represents a new stage in an old fight.”

Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

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source: reuters.com