Why Is the U.S. Military Deployed in Syria Instead of Protecting the U.S. Border?

The United States military has been involved in Syria since 2014, when President Barack Obama authorized airstrikes against the Islamic Stat...

The United States military has been involved in Syria since 2014, when President Barack Obama authorized airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). However, the presence of American troops in Syria has remained controversial, with many Americans questioning why the U.S. military is focused on a conflict in the Middle East when there are issues closer to home, such as immigration and border security.

To understand why the U.S. military is in Syria and not on the U.S. border, it is important to look at the history of U.S. involvement in Syria, the current state of the conflict, and the politics behind the decision to deploy American troops overseas.

History of U.S. Involvement in Syria

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The United States first became involved in the conflict in Syria in 2011, when the Syrian government violently suppressed peaceful protests calling for political reform. The U.S. government initially provided humanitarian aid to the Syrian opposition and supported international efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

In 2013, the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own citizens, which prompted the Obama administration to consider a military response. However, instead of launching airstrikes, the U.S. government negotiated a deal with Russia to remove Syria's chemical weapons.

• The United States began providing military support to Syrian rebels in 2012, a year after the start of the Syrian civil war.
• In 2014, the U.S. began airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria, as part of a broader coalition effort to defeat the militant group.
• American support for Syrian rebels has been controversial, as some factions have been accused of human rights abuses and extremist affiliations.
• In 2018, the U.S. conducted a missile strike against the Syrian government in response to a chemical attack on civilians, which the U.S. attributed to the Syrian regime.
• American involvement in the Syrian war has largely been focused on countering ISIS, but the U.S. has also supported rebel groups opposed to the Syrian government.

In 2014, ISIS emerged as a major threat in Syria and Iraq, capturing large amounts of territory and committing brutal acts of violence against civilians. The Obama administration authorized airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and the U.S. military began providing training and support to local forces fighting against the group.

Since then, the U.S. military has continued to provide support to local forces fighting ISIS in Syria, and has also become involved in the wider conflict between the Syrian government, opposition forces, and their respective international backers.

Current State of the Conflict

The conflict in Syria is incredibly complex, with multiple armed groups fighting for control of territory and influence. The Syrian government, led by President Bashar al-Assad, is backed by Russia, Iran, and various Shia militias. The opposition forces are backed by Turkey, the United States, and other Gulf states.

ISIS has largely been defeated in Syria, with the group losing control of its last remaining territory in the country in 2019. However, the conflict between the Syrian government and opposition forces continues, and there are concerns that the situation could escalate into a wider regional conflict involving other countries, such as Israel.

The presence of American troops in Syria has become a point of contention between the United States and Russia, with the two countries accusing each other of violating the deconfliction agreement that is supposed to prevent accidental clashes between their respective forces.

• The U.S. has provided training and equipment to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters that has been a key partner in the fight against ISIS.
• The U.S. has also provided humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians affected by the war, including funding for refugee assistance programs.
• American involvement in the Syrian war has been criticized by some as an example of American interventionism and an unwarranted use of military force.
• President Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria in 2019, but the decision was met with bipartisan criticism and was later reversed to leave a small force for counter-terrorism operations.
• The Biden administration has continued to maintain a small military presence in Syria and to support the SDF in its fight against ISIS, while also calling for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Politics Behind the Decision to Deploy American Troops Overseas

The decision to deploy American troops overseas is often driven by a combination of strategic, diplomatic, and political factors. In the case of Syria, the decision to support local forces fighting ISIS was based on the strategic objective of defeating a terrorist group that had committed horrific acts of violence against civilians.

However, the decision to continue supporting those same local forces and become more involved in the wider conflict in Syria is largely driven by diplomatic and political factors. The United States is seeking to counter the influence of Russia and Iran in the region, and to support the opposition forces in their efforts to remove President al-Assad from power.

The politics of the situation are complicated by the fact that the United States has also been working with Turkey, a NATO ally, to establish a safe zone along the Turkish-Syrian border. This has led to tensions between the United States and Turkey, which sees some of the Kurdish forces that the United States is working with as terrorists.

Why Is the U.S. Military Not on the U.S. Border?

The question of why the U.S. military is in Syria and not on the U.S. border is a complicated.