Defense Secretary Mark Esper says that under current plans all U.S. troops leaving
Syria will go to western
Iraq and the military will continue to conduct operations against the
Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence.
Speaking to reporters traveling with him to the
Middle East, Esper did not rule out the idea that U.S. forces would conduct counterterrorism missions from Iraq into Syria.
Esper said he has spoken to his Iraqi counterpart about the plan to shift the more than 700 troops leaving Syria into western Iraq.