|
Trending Topics
|
U.S. Weighs Complete Military Withdrawal from Syria
(Wall Street Journal) Lara Seligman - Washington is considering a complete withdrawal of American troops from Syria, U.S. officials said, as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa moved to wrest control of the northeastern part of the country from an American-backed Kurdish-led militia. The SDF's defeat last week by Syrian government forces has led the Pentagon to question the viability of the American military mission in Syria, according to three U.S. officials. Roughly 1,000 American troops are in Syria, most scattered across the northeast where they are co-located with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). A handful of the troops are stationed at Al Tanf Garrison in Syria's south. Their primary mission is to prevent the resurgence of Islamic State, and the soldiers frequently conduct patrols and operations with the SDF. Much of the assault's success was the result of Arab tribal forces, who were once loyal to the SDF, switching sides to back the government. The SDF still controls the cities of Kobani and Hasakah, where there are large Kurdish populations. Sharaa's army is riddled with jihadist sympathizers, including soldiers with ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS and others who have been involved in war crimes against the Kurds and Druze, two of the officials said. In December, two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian interpreter were killed near Palmyra by a member of the Syrian security forces who was set to be fired for holding extremist views. During the recent operation against the Kurds, U.S. forces shot down at least one Syrian government drone near a facility where American troops are stationed.