Trump offers condolences in first public comments on Syria attack

President Trump on Thursday offered his condolences to the families of the Americans killed in Syria the previous day in his first public comments on the attack.

“I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest condolences to the families of the brave American heroes who laid down their lives yesterday in selfless service to our nation,” Trump said during a speech at the Pentagon to unveil a missile defense review.

“These are great people, great, great people. We will never forget their noble and immortal sacrifice,” the president added.{mosads}

Trump was speaking a day after at least 19 people, including four Americans, were killed in an ISIS-claimed suicide attack in the northern Syrian town of Manbij.

The Americans included two U.S. troops, a Pentagon civilian and a military contractor. Their identities were not immediately released pending notification of next of kin.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement Wednesday offering “our deepest sympathies and love” to the families of the Americans who were killed.

The attack called into question Trump’s plan to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, which he announced last month.

At the time, Trump claimed that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was defeated and said troops would be coming home “now.”

He and administration officials have since tempered their comments, saying ISIS has lost nearly all of its territory and that the U.S. withdrawal be done more slowly. 

Trump did not mention his plans for a withdrawal during his remarks at the Pentagon on Thursday.

But Vice President Pence indicated that the pullout is still happening, saying it would be done in a way to ensure ISIS will not reemerge.

“Today, along with all of you, our hearts and our prayers are with the families of the fallen American heroes who were lost in Syria yesterday, as well as those service members who were wounded,” Pence said while introducing Trump at the Pentagon.

“We honor their service, and we will honor the memory of the fallen,” Pence continued. “And their families and our armed forces should know their sacrifice will only steel our resolve that as we begin to bring our troops home, we will do so in a way that ensures that the remnants of ISIS will never be able to reestablish their evil and murderous caliphate.”