It’s surprising how little attention we pay to the fact that the United States is still heavily involved in conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Even though the headlines have mostly moved on, there are still about 900 US troops stationed in Syria and another 2,500 in Iraq, carrying out a mission that seems increasingly unending.
These soldiers are spread across vast swathes of the region from the Al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria to Al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province. They regularly face attacks from Iran-backed militias, and these incidents have become almost routine.
During his tenure, President Donald Trump made significant efforts to withdraw US forces from the region, yet his ambitions were stymied by ongoing security concerns, leaving many troops still on the ground as of 2024.
Read the rest of the story at The Telegraph.