U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria are vulnerable with no justifying security rationale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 11, 2020
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, media reported a rocket attack on a base in Iraq killed two U.S. service members. Defense Priorities Senior Fellow Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis, USA, Ret. issued the following statement in response:

“Opponents of our indefinite policing missions in Iraq and Syria have long warned U.S. soldiers were vulnerable to attacks with no justifying U.S. security rationale.

“Tragically, today, it appears two more U.S. service members have lost their lives. This is in addition to two U.S. Marines who were killed in Iraq on Sunday.

“The anti-ISIS military mission was long ago completed, yet Washington has kept U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria for the benefit of local actors there—not to keep America safe. This latest loss is a stark reminder of the consequences of a broken U.S. foreign policy.

“It is long past time to dissolve overly ambitious commitments in peripheral lands. The U.S. should instead focus on core security and prosperity challenges. The best policy is to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq, Syria, and the broader region. Not one more American should be required to sacrifice their life for a mission that doesn’t even serve vital U.S. interests.”