After Iran Proxy Strikes, Should U.S. Troops Leave Iraq and Syria?

NORTHEASTERN SYRIA – MAY 26: A U.S. Army MRAP patrol vehicle passes by, seen through a bulletproof windshield of another armored vehicle on May 26, 2021 near the Turkish border in northeastern Syria. U.S. forces, part of Task Force WARCLUB operate from remote combat outposts in the area, coordinating with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in combatting residual ISIS extremists and deterring pro-Iranian militia. U.S. troops primarily use the Oshkosh M-ATV, a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Posted: January 30th, 2024

SUBSCRIBER+REPORTING – In the wake of Sunday’s strike that killed three Americans and injured dozens more at a small U.S. base in Jordan – the first deadly attack against American troops since the war in Gaza began – the immediate questions involve the nature and scope of the U.S. response. As The Cipher Brief reported on Monday, the Biden Administration is walking a tightrope between a strong retaliation and a desire to avoid a wider war – what one analyst called a “Goldilocks”- style answer (as in, “not too hot” and “not too cold”). On Tuesday, President Biden said that he had reached a decision on how to respond but did not disclose details.

Meanwhile, another decision looms involving the presence of more than 3,000 U.S. service members in Iraq and Syria. This was an issue before Sunday’s deadly attack at the Tower 22 base, given that more than 150 strikes have been aimed at American forces since mid-October, injuring more than 50 Americans, including at least two dozen who suffered  traumatic brain injuries.

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