"Wow, if true, ISIS would love that. A small footprint of Americans working with locals is an insurance policy against the reemergence of ISIS and an attack on our homeland," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a defense hawk, Thursday on X.
"I believe it's time for a new approach and new eyes on Syria," Graham said. "I am confident that many senators – on both sides of the aisle – share my concerns about the implications of withdrawal when Syria is so unstable."
The South Carolina senator was reacting to a Thursday report from The Wall Street Journal that Washington is considering a complete drawdown of U.S. service members from Syria as President Ahmed al-Sharaa's forces have pushed for U.S.-allied Kurdish-led militias, collectively known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to fold into his central government and have made territorial gains in the country's northeast.
A defense official told The Hill late Thursday that in order to protect operational security and ensure the safety of U.S. troops, "we do not discuss troop numbers, location, or movement."
There are about 1,000 U.S. service members in Syria, mostly stationed in the nation's northeast, while some are also present at Al Tanf Garrison in the country's southeastern end. The presence of U.S. forces, which has been constant since 2014, is to prevent the resurgence of ISIS.
U.S. troops have fought ISIS in Syria alongside the SDF, with whom they have conducted operations and completed patrols. But the SDF has faced setbacks in recent weeks, with al-Sharaa's forces taking oil facilities, a dam and a military base, leading to a temporary ceasefire between the two sides.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, echoed Graham's concerns, arguing that a small U.S. presence in the country would aid in suppressing ISIS.
"While we all share hope for the new government, Syria remains in a fragile period of transition. A very small U.S. footprint provides regional stability and helps prevent the last thing our world needs: an ISIS resurgence in Syria," McCaul said Thursday on X.
The Pentagon began pulling about 600 U.S. troops from Syria last year, citing success in fighting ISIS in the region. President Trump attempted to withdraw all forces from Syria in 2018, but the push was met with opposition from Defense Department officials, leading eventually to the resignation of then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
Read the full report at thehill.com.
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