Graham says Trump committed to smart Syria withdrawal

Reuters
Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) hold a news conference on the death of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 12, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said President Donald Trump reassured him about his plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and his commitment to defeating Islamic State during a White House meeting on Sunday. "We talked about Syria. He told me some things I didn't know that made me feel a lot better about where we're headed in Syria," Graham told reporters outside the White House after the meeting. "We still have some differences but I will tell you that the president is thinking long and hard about Syria - how to withdraw our forces but at the same time achieve our national security interests." (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Peter Cooney)