The only important U.S. security interest in Syria is avoiding a major war

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 12, 2020
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, The Wall Street Journal reported U.S. and Syrian forces traded gunfire in northeast Syria. Defense Priorities Policy Director Benjamin H. Friedman issued the following statement in response:

“The few hundred U.S. troops in Syria are too few to accomplish much, but they’re enough spark a wider war. Today’s shootout with Syrian forces is another reminder that it’s past time to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria. Without evident purpose, the mission there turns U.S. soldiers into targets and risks dragging the U.S. into another long war in the Middle East.

“Syria is full of risks of escalation without payoff. Along with the tensions with the Syrian Army, recent reports indicate U.S. forces have clashed with Russians in Syria. There’s also a danger of conflict with Iranian-backed forces.

“After the fall of ISIS’s caliphate, the U.S. military has been assigned an aimless mission in the country, ostensibly focused on denying oil revenue to the scattered and weak remnants of ISIS. In reality, it is denying territory and oil to Syrian leader Bashar al Assad in a confused effort to delay the Syrian government from retaking control of its country.

“At this point, the only important U.S. security interest at stake in Syria is avoiding a major war. Staying needlessly jeopardizes U.S. soldiers’ lives and invites a broader, no-win conflict. All U.S. forces should leave, and the U.S. should use its diplomatic leverage to convince its NATO ally Turkey to de-escalate.”

Author

Benjamin
Friedman

Policy Director