Middle East

U.S. Commanders Recommend Letting Kurdish Fighters in Syria Keep U.S. Weapons: Reuters

U.S. military commanders are recommending that Kurdish troops fighting ISIS be allowed to keep U.S. weapons after U.S. forces withdraw, a move that would likely anger NATO ally Turkey, Reuters reports. President Trump abruptly ordered a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria last week. The decision was met with widespread criticism and prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis. Discussions about the weapons are still at an early stage inside the Pentagon and no decision has been made, officials told Reuters. It is unclear what the Pentagon will recommend to the White House, and what the president will ultimately decide to do. “Planning is ongoing, and focused on executing a deliberate and controlled withdrawal of forces while taking all measures possible to ensure our troops’ safety,” Commander Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman, told Reuters.