The Pentagon is skeptical about President Donald Trump’s plan to establish “safe zones” inside Syria, a move that could require tens of thousands of US military personnel to execute, according to a report.
The draft executive order would reportedly give the Defense Department and State Department 90 days to devise a strategy for establishing and protecting several camps for refugees in Syria.
Pentagon officials have refused to discuss the initiative publicly, saying Thursday the matter was “pre-decisional” and that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had yet to receive an order from the White House, according to a report by The Military Times.
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Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said Mattis was aware of the draft documents but had not acted on them.
“Let’s give him a chance to see what is even in them,” Davis said. “Let’s give this a chance to develop, and we’ll see what the guidance is, and we’ll carry out the guidance.”
Privately,…