Article snippet: MORE on Monday dug in on his decision to pull U.S. troops out of northern Syria as Turkey prepares an operation in the region, while members of his own party lined up to criticize the move. Speaking to reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Trump said he has "great respect" for the prominent Republicans who are urging him to reconsider his strategy but that "it's time to come back home." "We’ve been there for many, many, many years beyond what we were supposed to be. Not fighting. Just there. Just there. And it’s time to come back home," Trump said in his first public remarks since the shift was announced late Sunday. "But I can understand the other side of it," he continued. "But if you go by the other side, that means we should never, ever come home." The president lamented that the most difficult aspect of his job is writing letters to the families of soldiers killed overseas. He described writing to families of soldiers killed by mines or snipers, calling it "devastating." "We’re willing to do what we have to do, but there has to be an endgame," he said. "And if you stay, it’s going to be the same thing. Eventually you’re going to have to leave." The White House announced late Sunday that Turkey will soon be launching a military operation in northern Syria and that U.S. troops will no longer be “in the immediate area” when it happens. The U.S. had more than 1,000 troops deployed in northern Syria, working closely with Kurdish-led forces that Turk... Link to the full article to read more