Senate warns Trump on Afghanistan, Syria withdrawal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted to oppose the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan, breaking with President Donald Trump as he has called for a drawdown of troops in those countries.

Senators voted 70-26 for the amendment sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The measure says the Islamic State and al-Qaida militants still pose a serious threat to the United States, and it warns that “a precipitous withdrawal” of U.S. forces could allow terrorists to regroup and destabilize critical regions.

Trump announced plans for a U.S. pullout from Syria in December, saying the Islamic State had been defeated. His intelligence chiefs say the group remains a threat.

Trump has also ordered the military to develop plans to remove up to half of the 14,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan.