President Trump makes Surprise Visit to U.S. Troops in Iraq

SANAA, Dec. 27 (YPA) – US President Donald Trump made a surprise Christmas visit to US troops in Iraq on Wednesday, his first trip to a conflict zone nearly two years into his presidency and days after announcing a pullout of American troops from Syria.

The US presidential plane landed and touched down at the Al-Asad Air Base, west of Baghdad, after an overnight flight from Washington with first lady Melania Trump, a small group of aides and Secret Service agents, and a pool of reporters.

In statements to reporters, Trump defended the decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, expressing the belief that many people will be convinced in his thinking.

Trump said he had no intention of withdrawing from Iraq, saying that he might use Iraq as a base if “we wanted to do something in Syria.”

E.M