U. S. envoy to coalition fighting ISIS resigns in protest of Trump’s Syria decision

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December 22, 2018 at 5:20 p.m. EST

In this June 7, 2017 photo, Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the global coalition against the Islamic State, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy Baghdad. (Hadi Mizban/AP)

Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting the Islamic State, has resigned in protest of President Trump’s decision to abruptly withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

His resignation, confirmed by a State Department official familiar with the matter, comes on the heels of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’s announced departurebecause of differences with the White House over foreign policy, immediately following Trump’s announcement on Syria. Mattis said he would stay on until February to ensure a smooth transition.