US plans to withdraw troops from Syria: Foreign Policy

US plans to withdraw troops from Syria. In a report published on Wednesday (January 24), the influential US media outlet Foreign Policy reported. 

According to reports, tension has spread across the Middle East in the wake of the Israeli invasion of Gaza. US troops are under constant attack in Syria. In such a situation, the President Joe Biden administration is considering withdrawing troops.

According to the report, US troops may be completely withdrawn from Syria. However, no concrete decision has been taken yet.

But at least four sources inside the Defense and State Departments said the White House does not want to continue the Syria mission. They consider it unnecessary. There is extensive internal discussion to determine when and how troops can be withdrawn.

A troop withdrawal from Syria could be disastrous for the US and its allies, the report said. Besides, it will be a gift for the militant group Islamic State or IS. Although significantly weakened, the group will have an opportunity to reassert itself in Syria.

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According to the report, IS emerged in Syria and Iraq in June 2014. Within a few months, the terrorist group captured large areas of the two neighboring countries.

More than 80 countries, led by the United States, launched an unprecedented campaign to defeat the group. The joint military coalition declared victory over the group in 2017 after a three-year campaign. Its final base in Syria was also liberated in early 2017.

Similarly, IS has almost disappeared in Iraq. The group's situation in the country is such that in 2014 it carried out about 850 attacks per month, but in 2023 it was down to just nine per month.

According to reports, IS in Iraq has almost disappeared, but the situation in Syria is still very complicated. As a result, about 900 US troops are still stationed there.

Through these forces, the United States has been able to control the rise of IS in northeastern Syria. In this regard, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are playing an important role in supporting the US forces.

In many ways, Iraq is crucial because the coalition fighting against the Islamic State is mainly based there. However, there are increasing tensions between Iranian-backed groups and U.S. forces in Iraq, leading to calls within Iraq for the U.S. troops to leave.

The Iraqi Prime Minister is now openly advocating for a U.S. withdrawal. Some hope that U.S. forces in Iraqi Kurdistan can continue operations against the Islamic State. But if coordination shifts from Baghdad to Erbil, it could create problems. This might escalate tensions among the Kurdish groups in the region and attract unwanted interference from Turkey.

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If the U.S. withdraws from Iraq and shifts focus to Syria, it could face increased attacks from Iran and its proxies. Recent events have put the U.S. deployment in northeast Syria in a precarious position, leading to internal discussions about a possible withdrawal.

Considering the chaotic outcome of the hasty U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021 and with an upcoming U.S. election, it's puzzling why the Biden administration is contemplating a Syria withdrawal.

Regardless of how it's done, a withdrawal would likely lead to chaos and a rise in terrorism threats. Some in the U.S. government are suggesting a collaboration between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syria's regime to combat the Islamic State as a way for the U.S. to exit.

However, this idea is problematic, as the SDF and the Syrian regime are not natural allies. The regime wouldn't allow the SDF to sustain itself, and Turkey would oppose it.

The return of chaos by the Islamic State, like in 2014, would have severe global security consequences. If a U.S. withdrawal leads to such a situation, we would be powerless observers, leaving the region under the control of a pariah regime and its allies from Russia and Iran.