Senator Lindsey Graham​ 'reassured' about US efforts in Syria amid pull out

WASHINGTON: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that the United States would withdraw from Syria in a manner that will ensure that the ISIS is permanently destroyed while keeping Iran at bay in the region.

"I learned a lot from President @realDonaldTrump about our efforts in Syria that was reassuring," Graham tweeted on Sunday (local time) after meeting with US President Donald Trump.

He further stated, "The President will make sure any withdrawal from Syria will be done in a fashion to ensure - (1) ISIS is permanently destroyed, (2) Iran doesn't fill in the back end, and (3) our Kurdish allies are protected."

Graham, who was one of the first to strongly criticise the US President's decision to pull troops out from Syria, put out a positive front on the social media platform regarding the very same decision after the meeting.

"President @realDonaldTrump is talking with our commanders and working with our allies to make sure these three objectives are met as we implement the withdrawal," Graham stated.

Graham was at the forefront about seeking answers from Trump regarding the troop withdrawal, taking regularly to Twitter to urge the President in re-evaluating his decision.

"Mr President, we will never have partners in the future. Our nation is better than this. Please reevaluate the Syrian withdrawal strategy," Graham had tweeted on December 21.

He had earlier publicly refuted Trump's claims of having defeated the ISIS in Syria, which was the reason Trump had cited before announcing his decision to withdraw.

"With all due respect, ISIS is not defeated in Syria, Iraq, and after just returning from visiting there - certainly not Afghanistan," Graham had tweeted on December 19.

The US had announced its decision to withdraw from Syria on December 19, which spurred massive criticism from all quarters. Speculations are rife that a US exit from the region would increase the influence of Russia and Iran in Syria.