US mulling complete troop withdrawal from Syria – WSJ
The US is considering a complete withdrawal of its troops from Syria, the Wall Street Journal has claimed, citing unnamed officials. According to the publication, this has been prompted by the advance by Syrian government forces last week that has considerably weakened the US-backed Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In 2014, at the height of the Syrian Civil War, Washington established a military presence in the Middle Eastern country, and has since maintained a contingent at several bases in Syria’s northeast and south. US officials have framed the intervention as an operation to combat jihadist militants, including Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) remnants.
At present, approximately 1,000 US troops are reportedly stationed in Syria.
In an article on Thursday, the WSJ reported that the Pentagon has begun questioning the “viability” of the US military presence in the country, should the allied Kurdish militias disband completely, under pressure from Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government. The newspaper quoted its sources as saying that Washington is skeptical as to whether its forces would be able to effectively co-operate with Syrian government troops, given the alleged jihadist affiliations of some of them.
According to the WSJ, during the latest offensive against the Kurds, the government’s military already came “dangerously close to US troops,” flying a drone near one of the American bases.
Last December, two American soldiers and their interpreter were killed and another three service members were injured after being ambushed by a “lone ISIS gunman” near the Syrian city of Palmyra. Washington retaliated with strikes on Islamic State targets several weeks later.
The Kurdish-led SDF was dealt a major blow after Syrian government forces launched a massive offensive on its strongholds in northeastern parts of the country late last year. Last Sunday, the government in Damascus, which came to power after toppling President Bashar Assad in December 2024, announced a deal with the militias. Under the agreement, SDF units will be integrated into the Syrian army and security forces, with Damascus reasserting control over the northeastern governorates of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Al-Hasakah.
