Foreign Policy magazine reported today, Wednesday, citing sources from the White House and the Departments of Defense and State, that Washington is no longer interested in maintaining its presence in Syria. The Quincy Institute, in a previous report, noted that Republican Senator Rand Paul is seeking to force a vote on a resolution he introduced, which aims to withdraw American troops stationed in Syria.
According to a report from Senator Paul's office, he seeks to withdraw the 900 soldiers currently in Syria. In a statement, Rand Paul expressed that "the American people are tired of endless wars in the Middle East," noting that there are still 900 American soldiers in Syria without any vital American interests at stake, no definition of victory, no exit strategy, and no congressional authorization for their presence there.
The report quoted Paul stating that "if we are to deploy our young men and women in military uniforms to Syria to fight and perhaps sacrifice their lives for a supposed cause, shouldn't we, as their elected representatives, at least discuss the merits of sending them there? Shouldn't we do our constitutional duty and discuss whether the mission we send them for is achievable?"
The American report highlighted the targeting of troops stationed in the region over the past years, noting that these attacks have escalated with the onset of the Israeli war with Hamas. It mentioned that American forces in Syria have faced at least 34 attacks, while the Biden administration has allowed limited strikes against Iran-backed factions in both Iraq and Syria.
The resolution introduced by Senator Paul on November 15 is based on the "War Powers Resolution" and includes a call for the Biden administration to withdraw the U.S. military from hostilities without a declaration of war from Congress. The report explained that if approved, this decision would mandate the withdrawal of troops within 30 days of its issuance, unless the president requests and obtains war authorization from Congress.
According to the American senator and others who criticize the U.S. military role in Syria, the deployment of troops there is not covered by the "specific authorization to use military force" passed in 2001 and 2002. Nonetheless, the U.S. military has been engaged in conflicts with various state and non-state actors there since former President Barack Obama deployed forces during the Syrian civil war in 2015.
The report concluded that American forces remain at risk there without a clear mission, especially given the ongoing conflict in Gaza. It recommended a gradual end to the American presence in the area, emphasizing that "the justification often used that American soldiers are present to deter and defeat ISIS is no longer acceptable, as the group has been defeated for a long time; thus, Operation 'Inherent Resolve' should conclude when the opportunity arises."
