The decision likely means the Bush strike group and its more than 5,000 U.S. forces, which are now in the European Command operational area, will not be returning to home port in the United States on schedule. Twenty-two U.S. troops injured in Syria helicopter mishap, U.S. says able to use or see these sharing tools. WASHINGTON (AP) When an Iranian drone struck a U.S. base in northeastern Syria, killing a contractor and wounding several U.S. troops, it was just the latest in a growing number of attacks on American forces in Syria. U.S. troops have remained stationed in . Despite recent showings on the battlefields of Ukraine, the tank is still an apex predator on the battlefield. NORTHEAST SYRIA, March 4 (Reuters) - The nearly eight-year-old U.S. deployment to Syria to combat Islamic State is still worth the risk, the top U.S. military officer said on Saturday, after a rare, unannounced visit to a dusty base in the country's northeast to meet U.S. troops. From Karachi, Pakistan. FILE PHOTO: The USS George H.W. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan Oatis), Tags: Iran, United States, Syria, Middle East, Europe. That has meant adopting what he called a Zelensky, after President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine: joining City Council meetings by videoconference from a combat zone, clad in an olive T-shirt. The strike on Thursday by a small, suicide drone set off a series of retaliatory bombings, and the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, Gen. Erik Kurilla, quickly warned that the U.S. was prepared to launch more attacks if needed. McFarlane cited progress against Islamic State, including through the reduction in the numbers of internally displaced people at refugee camps -- a pool of vulnerable people who could be recruited by Islamic State. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. This past weekend, he launched Wagners short-lived rebellion against Russias military leadership, prompting a crisis for Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Kremlin is still struggling to resolve. Defense. Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active. Thousands of other Islamic State fighters are in detention facilities guarded by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, America's key ally in the country. Report to Congress on A Written Strategy to Disrupt and Dismantle Narcotics Production and Trafficking and Affiliated Networks Linked to the Regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria Sec. 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An award-winning Washington-based national security reporter, Phil has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News and other programs and moderated national security events, including at the Reagan National Defense Forum and the German Marshall Fund. Putin's Syria policy hangs on amid Russian crackdown on Wagner $2.11bn. These include Syrias largest natural gas and oil fields (Shaer, al-Mahr, Jazar, and Jihar), where some reports indicate that Wagner has used a shell company called Evro Polis to receive up to a quarter of the production profits. Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the It was an initial peek into the vast influence network he once operated, spanning Russian disinformation operations online to boots on the ground in wars in countries like Libya and the Central African Republic. Syria Mission Worth the Risk, Top U.S. General Says After Rare Visit, U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks with U.S. forces in Syria during an unannounced visit, at a U.S. military base in Northeast Syria, March 4, 2023. He was just months into his term on the Dearborn City Council when he was called to deploy overseas. June 29, 2023. NORTHEAST SYRIA, March 4 (Reuters) - The nearly eight-year-old U.S. deployment to Syria to combat Islamic State is still worth the risk, the top U.S. military officer said on Saturday,. performance. can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as I also wanted to check on force protection, General Milley told reporters traveling with him, because we have soldiers and Marines and airmen who are distributed along the northeast section of Syria and theyre exposed to indirect fire attack.. He also attended a war games session for Ukrainian military officers in Germany. Bush carrier strike group to provide options to policymakers after last week's deadly attacks in. A U.S. soldier walking during a dismounted patrol, Syria, Feb. 3, 2023. Those rocket attacks are distractions from the real problem of ISIS, said Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, the commander of the Iraq and Syria effort, referring to the Islamic State. ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy U.S. Army Major General Matthew McFarlane, who commands the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, described attacks against U.S. forces as a "distraction from our main mission.". The al-Hol camp houses around more than 50,000 people, including Syrians, Iraqis and other nationals who fled the conflict, and McFarlane estimated around 600 babies were born there every year. The U.S. again said Iran-backed groups were responsible. Asked by reporters traveling with him if he believed the Syria deployment of roughly 900 U.S. troops to Syria was worth the risk, Milley tied the mission to the security of the United States and its allies, saying: "If you think that that's important, then the answer is 'Yes.'". US forces have targeted a base operated by Iranian allies in eastern Syria after an attack near a US base last week.. Why bring up this episode from five years ago? A withdrawal would also remove a big reason that the SDF has continued to press this long-term anti-ISIS effort: the prospect of close cooperation with U.S. forces on the ground and policy alignment with Washington. user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your January 12, 2021. The convoy was reportedly carrying fuel and weapons to militias in Deir el-Zour. Why does the US still have forces in Syria? - Al Jazeera America still has more than 900 troops, and hundreds more contractors, in Syria, working with Kurdish fighters to make sure there is no resurgence of the Islamic State, which was ostensibly defeated as a caliphate in 2019, after five years of wreaking havoc across Iraq and Syria. Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. Lieutenant Kamal Alsawafy from the Michigan National Guard is one of the U.S. soldiers in Syria helping provide security for Iraqis leaving al-Hol to be repatriated back to Iraq in protected convoys. The main mission of the United States military in Syria is combating the infamous Islamic State group there. A company of some 300 to 500 pro-Syrian regime troops advanced on the refinery, equipped with heavy weapons including armored vehicles and tanks. Lieutenant Alsawafy, 35, who immigrated to Michigan with his parents from Iraq in the 1990s, speaks Arabic and is a fitting American officer to partner with the Iraqi military to provide security for the chartered buses of people returning to Iraq from the refugee camps. Following a simple service, the aircraft lumbered away to be swallowed up in the dark Syrian sky. It would certainly stop fighting ISIS. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said the rockets were fired by groups affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, but he stopped short of blaming Tehran for the U.S. deaths and injuries. Stay informed on the latest news on health and COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. An award-winning Washington-based national security reporter, Phil has appeared on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News and other programs and moderated national security events, including at the Reagan National Defense Forum and the German Marshall Fund. In August 2022, the U.S. carried out strikes targeting Iran-backed militias in Deir el-Zour province. By Phil Stewart NORTHEAST SYRIA (Reuters) -The nearly eight-year-old U.S. deployment to Syria to combat Islamic State is still worth the risk, the top U.S. military officer said on Saturday,. use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are Over an intense four-hour gunfight, the attackers pinned down U.S. forces under a barrage of artillery and mortar rounds. Youre reading an excerpt from the Todays WorldView newsletter. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. "I happen to think that's important," Milley said. The Pentagon said the attacks were meant to send a message to Iran, which the U.S. blamed for a number of drone attacks, including one that targeted the al-Tanf garrison. The U.S. maintains security at all of its bases but steadfastly declines to provide much detail. U.S. officials believe drone and rocket attacks are being directed by Iran-backed militia, a reminder of the complex geopolitics of Syria where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad counts on support from Iran and Russia and sees U.S. troops as occupiers. When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect U.S. officials believe drone and rocket attacks are being directed by Iran-backed militia, a reminder of the complex geopolitics of Syria where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad counts on support from Iran and Russia and sees U.S. troops as occupiers. In late 2022, Kenya, Trinidad, and Rwanda were also proposed to staff the intervention force; Jamaica volunteered in February 2023. U.S. forces advise and assist the SDF, including in securing the detention facilities, and they also conduct counterterror missions against the Islamic State group and other al-Qaida-affiliated militants, and carry out strikes on Iran-backed militias that have attacked U.S. facilities. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. The Future of al-Tanf Garrison in Syria | The Washington Institute Still, the United States has formally prioritized in its national security policies Russia, Ukraine and the Asia-Pacific above the Middle East after two decades of U.S. intervention in the region during its global war against terrorism. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo. The Biden administration and the Iraqi government say they have come to value repatriation as a means to get people out of the camps, where they are vulnerable to being indoctrinated by the Islamic State. No one was injured. 128: Behind this years Paris Air Show, 'No Regrets': Gen. Berger Defends Force Design Decisions From Critics, Pentagon Could Block 80-Plus Deliveries of F-35s, US and Allies Continue Training Ukrainian Troops Amid Counter-Offensive, How 5G Is Enabling Autonomous Military Inspector Drones in the Pacific, Salesforce Poised to Help Deliver The Strategic Goals in Armys 2022 Cloud Plan. And now facing tanks, that was a real chance. (Video: Reuters), Essential reporting from around the world, The battle in Syria that looms behind Wagners rebellion. "Over time, I do envision us transitioning when the conditions are met, where our partners can independently have a sustainable capacity and capability to keep ISIS in check," he said.