President Trump shouldn’t withdraw U.S. forces from Syria ‘until ISIS is completely destroyed,” a senior House Republican urged hours after a suicide bomber attacked a group of U.S. and local fighters.
“Today’s deadly bombing targeting our troops in Syria is a reminder that ISIS still has the capacity to carry out attacks,” Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said Wednesday. “I strongly urge the president to forcefully respond and ensure we do not withdraw our troops until ISIS is completely destroyed.”
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which reportedly killed “at least three” American soldiers patrolling alongside some of the Kurdish fighters who have provided a key ground force in the coalition to destroy the ISIS caliphate. The bombing comes just weeks after Trump’s unexpected decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, declaring ISIS defeated despite recent warnings from administration officials that longer-term presence was needed to consolidate the victory.
“The fight against ISIS is clearly not over,” Sen. Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday. “Today’s bombing, which took place in a Syrian city patrolled by U.S.-backed forces, is a stark reminder that the Trump administration needs a clearly-developed and articulated strategy to secure the gains we have made in the fight against terror that includes those on the frontlines of this ongoing fight as well as our diplomatic and development corps.”
The plan for the U.S. withdrawal remains ambiguous. Initial reports suggested the American soldiers would come home within a few months, until the State Department appeared to tap the brakes.
“We have no timeline for our military forces to withdraw from Syria,” a senior State Department official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told reporters in early January. “The president has made the decision that we will withdraw, and we are formulating the plans to do that right now in a deliberate and heavily coordinated way.”
But the Pentagon announced last week that a withdrawal of American equipment had begun.
There are about 2,000 U.S. special forces operators in Syria, one of the most complicated conflicts in the world due to the multitude of terrorist forces that have arisen and established themselves in the country since the beginning of the civil war. The war has added complexity and geopolitical significance due to Iranian and Russian intervention in Syria to prop up dictator Bashar Assad.
Only two U.S. soldiers have died in Syria prior to Wednesday, according to reports, making the Manbij bombing more costly for American forces than the entire deployment previously.
“We must continue to work with our allies to help vanquish this dangerous enemy,” McCaul said. “Allowing ISIS to regroup will inspire new radicals to join their cause and invite more violence and chaos across the Middle East.”
