Two US officials said Trump had told the commander of American forces in Iraq and Syria during his surprise visit to Iraq last week that the military could have several months to complete a safe and orderly withdrawal, The New York Times reported on Monday, December 31.

Trump confirmed that the abruptly announced withdrawal of US troops from Syria would be carried out "slowly."

“If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an IS loaded mess when I became President, they would be a national hero,” Trump tweeted on Monday.

“IS is mostly gone, we’re slowly sending our troops back home to be with their families, while at the same time fighting IS remnants......”

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told reporters that a “pause situation” on the troop withdrawal was in effect,” according to The New York Times.

Graham had warned that removing all 2,000 US troops from Syria would hurt national security by allowing Islamic State (IS) to rebuild, betraying US-backed Kurdish fighters of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) battling remnants of the militant group, and enhancing Iran’s ability to threaten Israel.

Trump decided on the Syria withdrawal in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, ignoring the advice of top national security aides and without consulting lawmakers or US allies participating in anti-IS operations.

The decision prompted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Special Presidential Envoy for Campaign to Defeat IS Brett McGurk to resign.

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