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Intel: How Trump's tweet is sparking debate over a new Syrian ‘safe zone’

Fighters from a new border security force under the command of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) hold flags during a graduation ceremony in Hasaka, northeastern Syria, January 20, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC1CD85096E0

As he cuts his seven-country Middle East tour short today, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo once again finds himself fending off questions about foreign policy directives hatched via presidential tweet. The latest confusion began on Sunday when President Donald Trump called for a "safe zone" to protect US-backed Syrian Kurds fighting near the Turkish border.

Why it matters: Trump’s tweet, Pompeo told reporters, aimed to “make sure that the folks who fought with us to take down the [Islamic State] caliphate … have security, and also that terrorists acting out of Syria aren’t able to attack Turkey. Those are the twin aims.”

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