The fall of the brutal Assad regime marks a critical opportunity for the United States to remove itself entirely from Syria, avoiding entanglement in further war.
American troops have been in Syria for the past decade with the primary objective of defeating the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a goal which has effectively been fulfilled since March of 2019 when the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) raised victory flags over the caliphate’s last stronghold. That same year, then-President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of remaining troops from Syria, aligning with his rhetoric regarding ending “endless wars” and prioritizing America’s vital interests. Trump did not follow through on this order due to opposition from within his cabinet. Thus, despite achieving the main objective of eliminating the threat posed by ISIS, about 2,000 U.S. military personnel remain in Syria, a number that was only recently revealed by the Pentagon.
Now that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters have effectively driven out the authoritarian Assad regime, the argument for U.S. retrenchment from Syria is more pertinent than ever.
As regional actors clearly have a much greater stake in Syria’s future, the U.S. would do well to remove its military personnel before they get caught in the crossfire. Three U.S. troops were killed in January 2024 in a drone attack on a U.S. base near Jordan’s border with Syria by Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Yet, U.S. troops remain exposed to flashpoints of escalatory fighting near the Euphrates River, where Iranian-backed militias have historically been active. Amidst the chaos in Syria, U.S. troops remain sitting ducks with little to no reason for being there.
Additionally, Washington’s NATO treaty ally Turkey has recently launched attacks on Kurdish groups in Syria, with which U.S. troops fought to combat ISIS. With Israel installing troops in southern Syria through what it calls a temporary defensive position, there is no coherent reason for the United States to maintain forces in what could become a proxy war battleground. Washington can take a hands-off approach and acknowledge the futility of preserving a remnant of the global war on terror. […]
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