Syrian Foreign Minister Warns of Repercussions if Turkish & US Troops Won’t Vacate the Country

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem demands that all Turkish and US forces vacate the country immediately; FM warns that countermeasures will be taken should both countries fail to adhere to this demand; al-Moallem: If they refuse, we have the right to take any and all countermeasures authorized under international law.

During the convening of the United Nations last week, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem demanded that all Turkish and US forces vacate the country immediately. Should either countries fail to cooperate with this demand, the FM warned that ‘countermeasures’ would be taken that are justified under international law.

The United States currently has approximately 1,000 troops in Syria continuing to combat the remnant of ISIS throughout the region. Turkey is also fighting against ISIS and some Kurdish forces.

With the ongoing civil war between the government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Asaad and the rebels, Syria is truly becoming more and more desolate by the day. The Syrian government is backed by Iran and their proxies as well as Russia if that tells you anything.

One major side effect of this civil war is the multitude of deaths of innocent men, women, and children. The Syrian government being one of the major culprits. In 2017, the United States responded with an array of missiles after Bashar Al-Asaad allegedly used chemical weapons (this wasn’t the first time) on his own people. The missiles were targeted at air bases where the planes took off from that were responsible for the chemical attacks.

In his address, al-Moallem stated, “The United States and Turkey maintain an illegal military presence in northern Syria…Any foreign forces operating in our territories without our authorization are occupying forces and should withdraw immediately… If they refuse, we have the right to take any and all countermeasures authorized under international law.”

President Trump actually called for the complete removal of US troops from Syria in 2018, but later agreed to leave a limited number of troops in order to eradicate ISIS.