JUDY WOODRUFF: American troops
began leaving Syria today, as
a tense cease-fire held between

Turkish and Syrian
Kurdish forces.

Where the Americans were
once hailed as helping
the Kurds defeat ISIS,
today, many in Northeast

Syria jeered and pelted
American convoys with rotten
vegetables and stones.

And special correspondent Jane
Ferguson, reporting tonight from
Northwestern Iraq near the Syria

border, encountered some of
those evacuating U.S. forces.

JANE FERGUSON: U.S. forces left
the Northeast Syrian town of
Tall Tamr under the cover of

darkness.

But protesters with signs
blocked the convoys.

One read, "Thanks for U.S.
people, but Trump betrayed us."

In the Kurdish held-town of
Qamishli on the Turkish border,
residents hurled potatoes.

As they follow the president's
orders and drive away, America's
troops are leaving behind

men they fought side by
side with against ISIS.

This weekend, U.S. Defense
Secretary Mark Esper said most
of the 1,000 troops leaving

Northeast Syria are headed
to Iraq to press the fight
against remnants of ISIS.

That came despite a tweet from
President Trump saying he was
-- quote -- "bringing soldiers

home."

Today, he added some U.S.
forces will stay in Syria to
protect Kurdish-held oil fields

from ISIS and to fight ISIS.

In Kabul, Afghanistan,
Esper said the move
would be deliberate.

MARK ESPER, U.S. Defense
Secretary: This withdrawal
will take weeks, not days.

Until that time, our forces will
remain in the towns that are
located near the oil fields.

JANE FERGUSON: But we witnessed
a withdrawal that appears to
be well on its way, arriving

across the border in Iraq, a
massive column of U.S. Special
Forces, on their way to a

new base, American flags
flying, as Iraq's Kurds
watched from the street.

In Washington today, President
Trump modified his earlier
explanation that all troops were

coming out.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the
United States: Well, they're
going to be sent initially to

different parts, get
prepared, and then ultimately
we're bringing them home.

We're bringing our
troops back home.

We never agreed to
protect the Kurds for
the rest of their lives.

JANE FERGUSON: The U.S. brokered
a five-day cease-fire last
Thursday after nearly a week

of bloodshed along the border.

It came amid widespread panic
over possible war crimes
committed by Turkish-backed Arab

militias and the threat
of ethnic cleansing
against the Kurds.

As part of the deal, the Kurds
agreed to withdraw from within
20 miles of the Turkish border

in areas where fighting
is already under way.

Over the weekend, there was
some fraying of the fragile
cease-fire, with shelling across

the Turkish-Syrian border.

Each side accused the
other of aggression.

Kurdish leaders said shelling
from the Turkish army killed
at least 17 people in the town

of Ras al-Ayn.

TALAAT YOUNIS, Kurdish
official (through translator):
The Turkish army and
its mercenaries didn't

stop their intensive
attacks, aiming to wipe
out everybody, and even
now the shelling continues.

JANE FERGUSON: In Istanbul
today, Turkey's foreign minister
said it was the Kurds who

initiated.

He said the Kurds were still
honoring the pact, but added
that Turkey would resume its

operations if the Kurds
don't leave the border areas.

MEVLUT CAVUSOGLU,
Turkish Foreign Minister
(through translator):
Harassment fires continue.

I think around 30 harassment
fires already came.

And we lost one soldier.

And we, of course -- as we
agreed with the Americans,
we have retaliated.

If they don't withdraw,
our operation will restart.

JANE FERGUSON: Amid the
upheaval, not just fighters are
fleeing, but terrified civilians

too.

The United Nations says more
than 176,000 people have been
uprooted from their homes

in Northeast Syria,
including 70,000 children.

Some of them end up
in camps like this, in
Bandarash in Northwest Iraq.

Here we met Kasuma Abdul, one
of many mothers who now fears
she may be forced to raise her

children as refugees.

When will you return?

KASUMA ABDUL, Kurdish Refugee
(through translator): When will
it become a settled country, how

we need it to be?

We are afraid to return.

There is shelling, warplanes
and soldiers there.

JANE FERGUSON: More like her
arrive at the camp every day
from their homes inside Syria.

For people here, there
is such an incredible
degree of uncertainty.

And that's because their lives
are impacted by a foreign
policy that changes by the day.

One thing everyone we spoke
with was certain of was who
they blame for this crisis.

KANIWAR ABDUL HAMID, Kurdish
Refugee (through translator):
Trump is responsible.

He betrayed the Kurds.

Children have died .
People have been displaced.

All these people in these
tents, it's Trump's fault.

He took the decision.

He sold out the Kurds.

JANE FERGUSON: Kurds like
Kaniwar Abdul Hamid told us they
believe strongly the American

soldiers don't want to leave.

KANIWAR ABDUL HAMID (through
translator): It's not the
American military's fault.

It was the president's decision.

The military has
to follow orders.

JANE FERGUSON: Tomorrow, the
cease-fire between Turkey and
the Kurds is set to expire.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm
Jane Ferguson in Dohuk, Iraq.