Austin stresses need to keep US forces in Syria to counter ISIS threat
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underscored on Wednesday the necessity of maintaining U.S. forces in Syria to prevent the Islamic State (ISIS) from reemerging as a significant threat, particularly in the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Austin stated that the presence of American forces in Syria remains crucial, especially to safeguard detention camps holding tens of thousands of ISIS militants.
American lawmakers have cautioned against the risks of ISIS’s resurgence and stressed the importance of protecting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). They called for an end to Turkish attacks on the SDF, warning that such actions could undermine their focus on combating ISIS and disrupt efforts to prevent the group’s revival.
Speaking from Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Austin added, that if Syria is left unprotected, “I think ISIS fighters would enter back into the mainstream.”
“I think that we still have some work to do in terms of keeping a foot on the throat of ISIS,” he said.