"I would not have made that suggestion, frankly," General Joseph Votel said.
The top U.S. commander in the Middle East says he disagreed with President Donald Trump's decision to pull American troops out of Syria.
"It would not have been my military advice at that particular time," Votel told CNN Friday.
Late last year, President Trump announced the U.S. would start bringing troops home. That same day, he tweeted, "We have defeated ISIS in Syria."
But Votel warned that the fight against ISIS in the region is far from over, and said the U.S.' "continued military pressure" is needed to bring down the terror group.
Votel told a Senate panel earlier this month President Trump didn't consult him before making the decision.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
