Syria’s foreign minister this weekend issued a stark warning to U.S. military forces in Syria.
Walid Muallem told the UN that, “Any foreign forces operating in our territories without our authorization are occupying forces and must withdraw immediately. If they refuse, we have the right to take any and all countermeasures authorized under international law.”
President Trump should remind Bashar Assad that he will defend U.S. citizens and punish aggressors against them. The need for such a clear warning is real.
While the Syrian military is unlikely to launch a direct military assault against any of the approximately 1,000 U.S. forces in Syria, it may do so through its proxies. There is precedent.
Assad has launched occasional offensives towards U.S. military units in eastern Syria. In February 2018, Russian GRU intelligence service mercenaries attacked a U.S. base. These threats were addressed by U.S. air strikes.
But with Assad, Russia, and Iran all furious over Trump’s sensible decision to retain forces in Syria, Muallem’s words may be a precursor to new hostile action. An extension here is the new agreement between the United States and Turkey to operate a refugee safe zone in northern Syria. While Assad and Russia only have themselves to blame for alienating Turkey, that safe zone undercuts their ability to set the long term outcome of the Syrian conflict. Vladimir Putin sees that outcome as his way to persuade regional states to accept Russian hegemony in place of American leadership.
The stakes are great.
Regardless, the U.S. should not accept Syria’s threats. Assad has already invited a new U.S. strike against his regime. He must know that if he attacks U.S. forces, the consequences will be truly severe.
