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Trump thanks Saudi Arabia for agreeing to rebuild Syria

(File) US President Donald Trump holds a chart of military hardware sales while meeting Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March | Reuters

Saudi Arabia has agreed to spend necessary money to help rebuild Syria, US President Donald Trump said on Monday, thanking Riyadh for the move.

Trump's comments came days after he announced the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, a decision termed by many experts and lawmakers as "rash" and "dangerous".

Trump argued that there was no need for the US to spend taxpayers' money now that ISIS has been defeated.

"Saudi Arabia has now agreed to spend the necessary money needed to help rebuild Syria, instead of the United States," Trump tweeted. "See? Isn't it nice when immensely wealthy countries help rebuild their neighbours rather than a Great Country, the U.S., that is 5000 miles away. Thanks to Saudi A!" he added.

Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria triggered the resignation of US Defense Secretary James Mattis who said Trump needs someone in the position with "views better aligned" with those of the president.

Brett McGurk, the US envoy to the global coalition fighting the ISIS, also resigned last week in protest at Trump's decision. Earlier, Trump had said his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, assured him that any remaining ISIS fighters in Syria will be eliminated.

"President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of ISIS in Syria," Trump tweeted around midnight on Sunday.