After Palmyra attack, US senator pushes for withdrawal of American military forces from Syria
US Senator Rand Paul has once again called for the complete pullout of American military forces from Syria following a deadly assault on US troops near the ancient city of Palmyra in the Arab country.
Paul renewed the call on Sunday, a day after US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that two American troops and an interpreter had been killed and three other people wounded in Syria’s central province of Homs by a suspected member of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
In an interview with NBC on Sunday, Paul said the Palmyra attack should trigger a more comprehensive evaluation of the US military involvement in Syria.
"The people who killed our soldiers should be punished, but really we need to reassess whether or not we should have troops in Syria to begin with … A couple hundred troops in Syria are more of a trip wire than a strategic asset. I do not think they deter war," he added.
The senator from Kentucky cautioned that maintaining troops in Syria places them in constant jeopardy, arguing that their presence has essentially turned them into prime targets for militant assaults.
He further emphasized that the American military presence in Syria has made US forces a focal point for militant groups worldwide.
American troops have been operating in Syria for more than a decade, first sent to confront Daesh. Over time, their mission broadened to allegedly encompass training and assisting allied local forces, as well as securing important regions in the country’s east and northeast, including major transit corridors and energy-rich zones.
However, the continued US military presence in Syria has sparked controversy, given that it operates without the consent of the Syrian government or any congressional approval.
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged multiple times that American troops were present in the Arab nation for its oil resources.
In April, US officials revealed plans to cut troop numbers in Syria, reducing the force from about 2,000 to fewer than 1,000.
Four HTS-affiliated gunmen killed in armed attack in northwestern Syria
Two US soldiers, interpreter killed in surprise attack in Syria: CENTCOM
Israeli military conducts new ground incursion in Syria’s Quneitra
Iran, Belarus sign key agreements to boost cooperation, counter Western sanctions
Palestinian journalist recounts unsettling details of abuse in Israeli jails
VIDEO | Sydney attack: A pretext for Netanyahu to justify a new war?
Iran’s top general hails major improvements in air defense systems
Iran: Claims over Persian Gulf islands contradict ‘sovereignty, good neighborliness’
Democrats, Republicans colluding to ‘kill’ Epstein files: CIA whistleblower
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Russia intercepts 130 Ukrainian drones in overnight raid
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
