This archive report was first published on 28 October 2019.
On November 14, 2019, the anti-ISIS coalition will convene in Washington to discuss the next steps in combating the extremist group in northeast Syria.
The meeting was called in response to President Donald Trump's announcement earlier this month that he had withdrawn approximately 1,000 US troops from the region.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian requested the urgent meeting, citing concerns over the potential resurgence of ISIS in the area.
According to a US official, the meeting aims to secure additional support from coalition allies, a key priority for President Trump, who has often accused US partners of being free-riders.
"This is something President Trump has been working on, both to get troops on the ground, airplanes in the air and money flowing to stabilization in that area from our partners and allies who are in the coalition," the official stated.
However, the official noted that no European allies have volunteered to send troops to replace departing US forces.
The meeting comes after President Trump announced the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in an attack in Syria led by US Special Forces on Sunday.
