Reasons Why Longer US Presence in Syria Is a Bad Idea

Rasa - Despite calls from the international civil society to leave post-ISIL Syria, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis says withdrawing US troops from Syria would be a “strategic blunder.”

News ID: 438156

Date: 09 June 2018 - 23:21

RNA - Mattis’ position reflects those of a lot of top US cabinet officials, who have resisted the international community’s calls for a quick withdrawal. They even claim that the UN peace plan necessitates an ongoing US military presence and occupation.

This sets out the US position that the UN plan necessitates regime change in Syria; something other nations say is not the case. It also suggests a more or less permanent US presence in Syria, since there is virtually no chance the US will impose a favorable outcome.

In other words, Syria looks to be going the way of other major US wars, an open-ended situation short of success in which US officials simultaneously are unable to come up with a plan to “win,” but will resist any pullout so they never completely lose.

However, here are the main reasons why Syria is better off without American occupying forces:

A- Many innocent civilians have been killed and wounded in the US-led airstrikes on the pretext of targeting ISIL positions in Syria. Last thing the war-torn country needs is another US escalation of the conflict in which we all know civilian casualties could be far worse.

B- As acknowledged by the Pentagon officials, many militant groups receive training and weapons from the United States. In the confusion of regime change (even in the best scenario, there will be some breakdown in controls), US weapons easily fall into the hands of ISIL and Al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups.

C- Under International Law and UN Charter, US intervention in Syria is viewed as occupation - not liberation, vastly complicating resolution of post-ISIL issues. The Syrian government wants no further US intervention. The US isn't viewed favorably in the Arab country. Opinion polls across the region and beyond also show a consistently unfavorable view of the US intervention in Syria. If the US prolongs occupation, terrorist groups will position themselves as popular groups fighting American-Zionist occupation.

D- Syria is a cauldron of sectarian communities. Prolonged US occupation (such as, arming Qaeda-allied rebels) has a significant probability of igniting a new round of sectarian conflict (as experienced in Iraq), with differing religious groups engaging in unnecessary conflicts for influence and territory. The resulting civilian death toll could vastly exceed the current carnage.

E- The Syrian military is well-armed and loyal, and has Iranian-Russian allies. Unlike Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya - the Syrian military is trained and armed with modern weapons. Further, the government has been improving its capabilities after dislodging many terrorist groups from all key cities and towns across the nation. All what the people want now is to build their shattered communities. And an increasing number of the population is loyal to the central government in Damascus for fear of living under a foreign-backed terrorist group or a puppet government.

F- Last but not the least, charity begins at home. America is bankrupt. It has a massive budget deficit; domestic infrastructure that's falling apart; unemployment, murder and poverty rates making some of its inner cities as dangerous as Syria; its military is not welcome in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria; and many other challenges. This isn't the time for a new military adventure in Syria.

In short, the terrible choices of terrible US leaders, more than anything else, created the openings Al-Qaeda, ISIL, and sectarian killers across Syria now exploit for survival and other purposes, including threaten Western interests. The roots of Syria’s upending – in the fraying and broken social contract – remind us that ISIL is not just an accelerant of chaos but is also a symptom of an underlying US-made disorder that’s based on regime-change fantasies and open-ended war and occupation.

For the sakes of the American and Syrian people, therefore, US Secretary of State Mattis is better off giving the marching orders to US troops to withdraw from Syria. He knows better than anyone else that it won’t be a “strategic blunder.” He also knows that the UN peace plan never necessitated an ongoing US military presence and occupation.

Source: Fars News Agancy

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