With the questionable doubling of US troops in Syria shortly before the Assad departure, almost certainly a part of a back door international deal, the new President will be left with a much more volatile Syrian question – Does Trump remove US forces from Syria and risk what neocons and liberals will inevitably claim is “emboldening” ISIS or does he stay in and risk another Iraq with mercurial objectives of “defeating ISIS?”
As Antonio Graceffo wrote in his article, “Countering ISIS: America’s Intensified Mission In Syria,” for The Gateway Pundit,
The Pentagon recently disclosed that the doubling of U.S. troop levels in Syria predates the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, highlighting a sustained commitment to countering ISIS and preventing its resurgence in the region.
While most of the deployed troops are Army personnel focused on disrupting ISIS operations, details regarding the timeline and specifics of their mission remain unclear.
Reports indicate that the troop increase has been in place for months, raising questions about the transparency of U.S. involvement in Syria.
Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder emphasized that the additional forces are not related to recent events, such as the search for missing journalist Austin Tice, but instead reflect long-term counterterrorism objectives.
On December 8, 2024, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted precision airstrikes targeting over 75 known ISIS camps and operatives in central Syria.