FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 13, 2025
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, three American military personnel were killed in an ISIS attack in central Syria. Rosemary Kelanic, Director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities, issued the following statement in response:
“The deaths and injuries of U.S. personnel in Syria today are tragic reminders that foreign military deployments are risky, costly, and should only be undertaken when vital national security interests are at stake. Sadly, Syria doesn’t pass that test. The U.S. military destroyed ISIS as a territorial entity more than five years ago, and its fighters pose no threat to the U.S. homeland.
“The only reason ISIS was able to strike U.S. troops in Syria is because we senselessly left them in harm’s way, long after their mission was completed. We must not compound this tragedy by allowing U.S. troops to remain vulnerable to attack on a nebulous mission with no end date. The U.S. should withdraw all forces from Syria and Iraq and let those countries manage their own problems.”
Author
Events on Syria
