Middle East: Biden: US soldiers remain in Syria after Assad’s fall

After the overthrow of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, American soldiers remain in the country until further notice. US President Joe Biden announced this in 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. According to the Defense Ministry, the USA still has around 900 soldiers stationed in Syria to fight the IS terrorist militia in the region.

Biden emphasized that US forces had only carried out precision attacks on IS targets in Syria in the past few hours. “We will remain vigilant,” assured the outgoing president. This also applies to the rebel groups that overthrew Assad. Some of these have “their own dark history of terrorism and human rights violations.”

The US military’s regional command for the Middle East (Centcom) announced on X that dozens of air strikes had been carried out on IS targets in central Syria. The attacks targeted IS leaders and officials and their camps.

The US government will also support Syria’s neighboring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel, if a threat comes 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 high-ranking officials there.

“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 the chance for a safer Middle East – even if this is anything but certain.