Sr. official: Trump assured Netanyahu Syrian withdrawal will be gradual

Netanyahu, according to the official, is considering attending the world economic Forum in Davos in January to meet there with Trump, who is also expected to attend.

By HERB KEINON
Updated: DECEMBER 31, 2018 18:57
Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018 (photo credit: RODI SAID / REUTERS)
Syrian Democratic Forces and U.S. troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria November 4, 2018
(photo credit: RODI SAID / REUTERS)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump in a recent phone call to ensure that the withdrawal of US troops from Syria will be done gradually and over an extended period of time, a senior diplomatic official said Monday in Rio de Janeiro.
The phone call came just a couple days before Trump's surprise announcement last month that the US would withdraw its 2,000 troops from Syria. 
The official said that Netanyahu will be meeting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brasilia on Tuesday and discuss the Syrian issue. The two men will be attending the inauguration of Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro.
Netanyahu is also expected to meet US National Security advisor John Bolton in Jerusalem on Sunday to discuss the same matter. Bolton will be on a regional tour that will also take him to Turkey.
Netanyahu, according to the official, is considering attending the world economic Forum in Davos in January to meet there with Trump, who is  also expected to attend.