© 2026 ABC News

\"If I do my math and I look at the new troops going in and those going out, it could be more than 700 who remain,\" said \"This Week\" co-anchor Martha Raddatz.

Milley responded, \"Well, there'll be less than 1,000 for sure, and probably in the 500-ish frame, maybe six. But it's in that -- it's in that area. But we're not going to go into specific numbers because we're still going through the analysis right now.\"

President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw nearly all American troops from the Kurdish-controlled region in Syria in October, drawing bipartisan backlash in Congress.

His stance on troop deployments reversed only two days after the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, when the president said military forces \"may have to fight for the oil.\"

\"PHOTO:
ABC News
PHOTO: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and "This Week" Co-anchor Martha Raddatz during their interview on "This Week."
>

The death of ISIS leader al-Baghdadi, which Milley said, \"will have a very significant disruptive effect on the organization as a whole,\" raised concerns over a new potential leader of ISIS. But Milley said the Pentagon has \"a considerable amount of information\" on that individual.

\"We'll see in the days ahead, in the weeks ahead, in the months ahead if he's able to piece together his organization or not,\" Milley said on \"This Week\" Sunday. \"We'll pay close attention to him and where opportunities arise, we'll go after him as well.\"

As the impeachment inquiry intensifies, Milley also underlined the diplomatic significance of military aid to Ukraine, saying, \"I think it's important to continue to help Ukraine maintain its free and sovereign status.\"

Milley declined to comment on the recent news surrounding National Security Council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified in a closed door deposition in the impeachment inquiry and was attacked by President Trump.

\"I have learned over the years an active duty military officer is not to comment on active investigations,\" he said, adding that doing so would be inappropriate.

Milley also discussed U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan, which he insisted never again would be \"a safe haven to terrorists that would attack the United States.\"

\"In order for that mission to be successful, the government of Afghanistan, the Afghan security forces, are going to have to be able to sustain their own internal security to prevent terrorists from using their territory to attack other countries, especially the United States,\" Milley said. \"That effort's ongoing. It's been ongoing for 18 consecutive years. I suspect it will be ongoing into the future for several more years.\"

After serving in Afghanistan as the Deputy Commanding General, Milley told ABC News he has never once regretted his decision to join the military. Born and raised in a veterans' family, he said he thinks about the soldiers who died under his command as Veterans Day approaches.

\"The freedoms we have ... are not free. They're paid for in the blood of all those soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have been fighting for it for two and a half centuries,\" he said.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/smaller-footprint-military-objective-remains-syria-gen-milley/story?id=66861776","legacySlug":"/news/story/smaller-footprint-military-objective-remains-syria-gen-milley-66861776","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"14:32","publishDate":"11-10-2019","updatedTime":"17:10","updatedDate":"11-10-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and \"This Week\" Co-anchor Martha Raddatz during their interview on \"This Week.\"","credit":"ABC News","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/milley-02-as-abc-191109_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"11/10/2019 14:32:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":66861776,"headline":"Milley: Military objective remains same in Syria","mediaAssetTitle":"TW: General Mark A. Milley","description":"The new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff appeared on ABC's \"This Week.\"","duration":"8:26","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/11/191110_tw_general_1032_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132055565","131830882","130993584"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 8, 2026","headline":"Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","section":"News","slug":"/video/131830882","id":"131830882","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"March 12, 2026","headline":"Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","section":"News","slug":"/video/130993584","id":"130993584","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Milley: Military objective remains same in Syria","description":"The new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff appeared on ABC's \"This Week.\"","duration":"8:26","uploadDate":"11-10-2019","publication":"11-10-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/11/191110_tw_general_1032_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/11/191110_tw_general_1032_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/smaller-footprint-military-objective-remains-syria-gen-milley-66861776"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131033212","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Milley: Military objective remains same in Syria","pubTime":"09:32","pubDate":"11-10-2019","modTime":"12:10","modDate":"11-10-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":66861776,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Milley: Military objective remains same in Syria","mediaAssetTitle":"TW: General Mark A. Milley","videoId":66861776,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/smaller-footprint-military-objective-remains-syria-gen-milley-66861776"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/66861776","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/66861776","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};