Trump move to pull US troops from Syria opens way to turmoil

President Donald Trump is pulling all 2,000 US troops out of Syria, officials announced Wednesday as the president suddenly declared victory over the Islamic State, contradicting his own experts' assessments and sparking surprise and outrage from his party's lawmakers who called his action rash and dangerous. (AP)

Trump says it is "heartbreaking" to have to write letters and make calls to the loved ones of those killed in battle. He sais, "They're all coming back and they're coming back now." (AP)

Later Wednesday, Trump posted a video on Twitter in which he said is "heartbreaking" to have to write letters and make calls to the loved ones of those killed in battle. "Now it's time for our troops to come back home," he said. (AP)

Trump's declaration of victory was far from unanimous, and officials said U.S. defense and military leaders were trying to dissuade him from ordering the withdrawal right up until the last minute. His decision immediately triggered demands from Congress — including leading Republicans — for more information and a formal briefing on the matter. (AP)

The withdrawal decision, however, is likely to be viewed positively by Turkey, and comes following several conversations between Trump and Erdogan over the past several weeks. (AP)

Although the withdrawal decision doesn't signal an end to the American-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State, it will likely erode U.S. leadership of that 31-nation effort. (AP)