1 2 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Def ense ▁released ▁a ▁budget ▁blue print ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁which ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁the ▁Aut onom ous ▁Administration ▁of ▁North ▁and ▁East ▁Sy ria , ▁including ▁$ 3 0 0 ▁million ▁for ▁the ▁S DF ▁and ▁$ 2 5 0 ▁million ▁for ▁border ▁security . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 9 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁French ▁President ▁Em manuel ▁Mac ron ▁v owed ▁to ▁send ▁troops ▁to ▁Sy ria ' s ▁Man bij ▁in ▁a ▁bid ▁to ▁assist ▁local ▁S DF ▁milit ias ▁in ▁prevent ing ▁Turkish ▁forces ▁from ▁adv ancing ▁on ▁the ▁town . ▁▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁U . S . ▁Kur d ish ▁al lies ▁in ▁Sy ria ▁discussed ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁ 3 , 2 0 0 ▁IS IS ▁prisoners , ▁a ▁prominent ▁monitoring ▁group ▁and ▁a ▁Western ▁official ▁of ▁the ▁anti - I sl am ic ▁State ▁coal ition ▁said , ▁a ▁day ▁after ▁President ▁Trump ▁ordered ▁the ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁all ▁American ▁troops ▁from ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁S DF ▁denied ▁that ▁such ▁tal ks ▁have ▁taken ▁place . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁U . S . ▁Deput y ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Def ense ▁Michael ▁Mul roy ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁physical ▁cal i ph ate ▁was ▁defeated , ▁but ▁IS IS ▁was ▁not . ▁And ▁there ▁were ▁over ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁f