now. hi, everyone. it's 4:00 in new york. donald trump today defying the advice of his top military advisers and ordering a complete withdrawal of u.s. troops from syria creating a power vacuum likely to be filled by russia, in a part of the world decidedly zero-sum. it will cheer isis, moscow and iran. it's a fact not lost on the pentagon which lobbied the president as late as wednesday not to take today's action. in a series of meetings and conference calls, defense secretary jim mattis and other senior national security officials have tried to dissuade mr. trump from a wholesale troop withdrawal arguing the significant national security policy shift would essentially cede foreign influence in syria to russia and iran at a time when american policy calls for challenging both countries. the times adds, pentagon officials who had sought to talk the president out of the decision as late as wednesday