The Wall Street Journal reported on Jan. 22 that Washington is considering a complete withdrawal of American troops from Syria, though neither the White House nor the Pentagon would comment on the record. This comes, however, after Ahmad al Sharaa’s forces swept across northern Syria, taking eastern Aleppo, Raqqa, and Deir Ezzor from the Kurdish-controlled Syrian Democratic Forces, leaving the SDF only in control of Hassakah in the northeast. In the wake of the defeat of the SDF, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack effectively told SDF commander Mazloum Abdi that SDF’s services in the war on ISIS were no longer needed. Or, as the Journal put it, “the head-spinning events of the last week have led the Pentagon to question the viability of the American military’s mission in Syria after the SDF’s defeat, according to three unnamed U.S. officials.”
In the middle of all this, U.S. Central Command announced on Jan. 21 that it had successfully transferred 150 ISIS prisoners from Syria to Iraq. “The transfer mission began as U.S. forces successfully transported 150 ISIS fighters held at a detention facility in Hasakah, Syria, to a secure location in Iraq,” CENTCOM said in a statement, reported Rudaw. “Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities.”
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the operation was conducted in close coordination with regional partners, including the Iraqi government. “We sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS,” he said.
