Drawdown from Syria a success worth scaling

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 12, 2026
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, the U.S. announced that it has evacuated a large base in Syria, withdrawing the troops stationed there to Jordan. Rosemary Kelanic, Director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities, issued the following statement in response:

“The U.S. withdrawal from al-Tanf military base in Syria is a major sign of progress reorienting U.S. strategy from mistakes of the past, especially the illusion that U.S. ground presence is necessary or helpful for preventing terrorism, and the Trump administration should keep up the momentum by removing all U.S forces from Syria and Iraq and closing unnecessary and vulnerable bases in Qatar, Kuwait, and throughout the region. Permanent U.S. basing in the Middle East doesn’t deter attacks—it attracts them, by providing local targets for bad actors who would otherwise be incapable of reaching U.S. targets. In this day and age of over-the-horizon capabilities, there are no terrorist ‘safe havens’ from U.S. military reach.”

Author

Rosemary
Kelanic

Director, Middle East Program

Defense Priorities