After the overthrow of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, American soldiers remain in the country for the time being. US President Joe Biden announced this at the White House and promised that the US would not allow the terrorist militia IS to use the power vacuum in Syria to expand its own influence again. The US still has about 900 troops stationed in Syria to fight the IS terrorist militia in the region, according to the Defense Department.
Biden emphasized that US forces had only carried out precision strikes on IS targets in Syria in recent hours. “We will remain vigilant,” the outgoing president assured. This includes the rebel groups that overthrew Assad. Some of them have “their own dark history of terrorism and human rights violations.”
Targeted attacks on IS positions
The US military’s Regional Command for the Middle East (Centcom) announced on X that dozens of airstrikes had been carried out on IS targets in central Syria. The attacks targeted IS leaders and officials and their camps.
The US wants to work on stability in the region
The US government will also support Syria’s neighbors, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel, if a threat emerges from Syria during the transition period, Biden said. He will speak to heads of state and government in the region in the coming days and send senior officials there.
“Moment of great uncertainty”
“This is a moment of significant risk and uncertainty,” the Democrat said. But at the same time, it is the best chance for Syrians in generations to shape their own future. And there is also a chance for a more secure Middle East – even if that is anything but certain.
Biden sees the overthrow of Assad as a foreign policy success
Biden also sees the fall of Assad as a consequence of his own foreign policy. “Assad’s main supporters were Iran, Hezbollah and Russia,” Biden said during a speech at the White House. Recently, however, their support has collapsed, “because all three are now much weaker than when I took office.”
The Democrat went on to say that Assad’s overthrow was a “fundamental act of justice.” Ultimately, neither Russia, Iran, nor Hezbollah would have been able to defend the “despicable regime” in Syria. This is a direct result of the blows dealt to them by Ukraine and Israel with major US support.
A senior US administration official also tried to make this connection: It is impossible not to place what is happening in Syria in the context of Biden’s decisions to support Ukraine in the fight against Russia – and Israel in the fight against Iran and Hezbollah. “Assad was effectively abandoned because his only friends – Iran, Hezbollah and Russia – could no longer help him,” the US official said.
Biden will leave office on January 20 and then hand power to Republican Donald Trump.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
