US debates full withdrawal of troops from Syria

United States President Donald Trump may be in a position to fully withdraw American forces from Syria, a goal that he had sought during his first term, as the Syrian government attempts to absorb the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into its own army, as reported by Middle East Eye via the Wall Street Journal  on January 22nd.

Reports by the Wall Street Journal suggested that Washington is weighing a full withdrawal from Syria now that the country’s new government has launched an offensive aimed at dismantling the US‑backed Syrian Democratic Forces in the north.

Clashes between the SDF and the Syrian army have drawn US forces into danger. In December, a Syrian army member, believed to have had ties to the Islamic State (IS), killed three American personnel.

For the full withdrawal of all American personnel, between 800 and 1,000 US soldiers, still currently stationed in Syria, would have to be relocated or returned to the United States.

The apparent withdrawal goal of the US, comes against a backdrop of Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa’s efforts to dismantle the militias that emerged during Syria’s civil war and absorb their fighters into the national army – but reports indicated that if the SDF were integrated into the Syrian army, American forces would refuse to operate alongside the troops.

The SDF had once been an effective military force battling Islamic State militants, but as the SDF cedes territory, it is also losing its grip on the camps it oversees, which hold roughly 7,000 detainees linked to the IS. Many are women and children who are refused repatriation.

The detainee population in Syria is highly diverse, with individuals from as many as 50 countries, among them France, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Tunisia, Germany, Iraq, Sweden, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands.

Recently, US Central Command began transferring 150 detainees to a facility in Iraq, stating that the long‑term goal is to relocate all remaining detainees out of Syria.

“The United States welcomes the Government of Iraq’s initiative to detain ISIS terrorists in secure facilities in Iraq, following recent instability in northeast Syria,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

“The United States appreciates the Iraqi government’s leadership and supports this bold initiative to ensure that ISIS terrorists cannot roam freely throughout the region,” he said. “Non‑Iraqi terrorists will be in Iraq temporarily,” he added. “The United States urges countries to take responsibility and repatriate their citizens in these facilities to face justice.”

Brett McGurk, who served as the lead official on counter‑IS strategy under both the Obama administration and Trump’s first term, criticised the Pentagon’s recent shift in approach. “Northeast Syria is deeply concerning. The ceasefire must hold,” he wrote. “Any security breakdown, especially at ISIS detention sites, risks international consequences. Kurds across Iraq and Syria are steadfast partners and should be treated as such. The world is much safer because of them.”

The prospect of an SDF collapse has revived scrutiny of what many describe as Washington’s repeated abandonment of its partners worldwide. On January 20th, Tom Barrack, Trump’s ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, said: “The original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti-ISIS force on the ground has largely expired.”

Middle East Eye the Wall Street Journal, Maghrebi.org