'SLOW' SYRIA PULLOUT
In a shock announcement on Wednesday, Trump said he was withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria, citing its cost both in terms of lives of U.S. military and financially. A day later, U.S. officials said the United States was planning on pulling out about half of the 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Mattis, whose embrace of NATO and America's traditional alliances often put him at odds with Trump, had advised against the Syria withdrawal - one of the factors in his resignation.
On Sunday, Trump said in a tweet that he had spoken with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan about a "slow and highly coordinated" withdrawal, suggesting that he might slow down the process after the barrage of criticism.
A U.S military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the withdrawal would be "safe, professional and deliberate" but was not aware of any new guidance from the White House.
A plan on the pullout is expected to be presented by commanders to the Pentagon this week, the official said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday he deeply regretted Trump's Syria decision.
The plan has also prompted unusually sharp criticism of Trump from some of his fellow Republicans.
Senator Bob Corker, the influential Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was "saddened" by Trump's withdrawal decision.
"I think he knows he made a mistake," Corker, who is retiring, said on CNN. "The president's tendencies are to dig in and double-down if he knows he has done something that is probably incorrect."
