General Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has called on president-elect Donald Trump to keep U.S. troops in Syria as he warned that a withdrawal could lead to IS (Islamic State) resurgence and destabilize Kurdish-controlled areas in the region.
The U.S. currently has about 2,000 troops stationed in northeastern Syria, up from the previously reported 900. These forces have worked alongside the SDF in counter-IS operations, ensuring the security of critical detention facilities and preventing IS militants from regaining control.
“The key factor of stabilisation in this area is the US presence on the ground,” Abdi told The Guardian. Abdi has also called for increased European support, emphasizing that the SDF fought not just for their people but on behalf of the international coalition against IS.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told The Associated Press that the U.S. must maintain its troop presence in Syria to prevent the Islamic State from reemerging as a major threat after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
He noted that Syria’s transitional government, led by the Sunni rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), remains fragile, and the situation is further complicated by external pressures from Turkey and internal instability.
“If Syria is left unprotected, ISIS fighters would enter back into the mainstream,” Austin said.
He emphasized the role of U.S. forces in securing detention facilities that house 8,000 to 10,000 IS fighters, including 2,000 deemed extremely dangerous. Austin expressed hope that, in the future, the Syrian transitional government could assume responsibility for these detention camps, but he stressed the necessity of U.S. involvement in the interim.
The potential return of Trump to the U.S. presidency has raised questions about the future of U.S. military involvement in Syria. During his first term, Trump sought to withdraw all U.S. forces from the region, a decision that triggered a Turkish offensive against the Kurds.
While Trump recently praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, he declined to clarify whether U.S. troops would remain in Syria, stating it was “part of a military strategy.”
