美国宽慰各盟友：撤军不代表抛弃你们

Amid confusion over the withdrawal of US troops from Syria,

President Donald Trump took to Twitter Monday to blast media reports that he is retreating from his December 19th announcement of a quick pullout, pledging to leave Syria at a proper pace.

The tweet came during White House National Security Advisor John Bolton's four-day visit to Israel and Turkey.

On Sunday, Bolton reassured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there will not be a hasty US withdrawal from Syria.

We're gonna be discussing the president's decision to withdraw, but to do so, from northeast Syria in a way that makes sure that ISIS is defeated, and is not able to revive itself and become a threat again.

Former Kurdish official Idris Naasan tells VOA that Kurdish fighters in Syria and other US allies are relieved after being blindsided by Trump's December tweet announcing an immediate withdrawal of US forces from Syria.

The Kurdish people, they are more relaxed now after the new statement by the US President Mr. Donald Trump, saying that we will not withdraw shortly from Syria, and we are and will guarantee that we will protect Kurdish people there after withdrawing as well.

During talks Tuesday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bolton is expected to ask Erdogan to guarantee that the Turkish military will not target Kurdish forces who have been allied with the United States in the fight against the Islamic State terror group.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who is heading to the Middle East for a one-week visit is expected to reassure allies that the United States is not abandoning the region.

Cindy Sanny, VOA news the State Department.