QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – US senators and representatives offered on Sunday differing views on America’s military presence in Syria following a deadly attack on US troops near Palmyra, underscoring a growing debate in Washington over strategy, risk, and long-term goals.
Democratic Senator Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the United States must adopt a more aggressive and sustained approach against ISIS while working closely with Syria’s new government.
Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Reed said Washington has a rare opportunity to cooperate with a Syrian government that shares U.S. objectives in defeating ISIS.
He rejected claims that the extremist group has been fully defeated, warning that intelligence assessments show ISIS remains the most capable and dangerous terrorist organization, with intent to strike even inside the United States.
Reed stressed that the U.S. response should go beyond limited retaliation, calling for a comprehensive effort to eliminate ISIS in Syria and elsewhere, while urging Syrian transitional authorities to take proactive steps to protect American service members.
Republican Senator Jim Banks of Indiana, also speaking to Fox News Sunday, credited President Donald Trump with dismantling the ISIS caliphate during his first term, saying that he is going to do that again during his second term.
In contrast, Republican Senator Rand Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, questioned the value of maintaining US troops in Syria. Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press, Paul said American forces function more as a “tripwire” than a strategic asset, arguing that while fallen soldiers are heroes, the broader purpose of the deployment deserves reassessment.
Republican Representative Mike Turner of Ohio defended the current mission, telling ABC’s This Week that roughly 2,000 U.S. troops remain in Syria to complete the fight against ISIS and support stabilization efforts in Syria and Iraq. He said the mission remains a priority for the White House and will continue.
On Dec. 13, CENTCOM announced the killing of two U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian interpreter when a lone ISIS gunman attacked a patrol in Palmyra, Syria’s desert. The assailant was engaged and killed at the scene. The injured service members are in stable condition, U.S. officials said.
The Pentagon confirmed the attack occurred while U.S. forces were conducting a key leader engagement in support of ongoing counter-ISIS operations in the region. The incident remains under investigation, with the identities of the victims being withheld until next of kin are notified.
Senator Lindsey Graham said the fallen Americans “paid the ultimate sacrifice” to prevent ISIS from regaining a foothold, while Senator Jeanne Shaheen said the attack underscored the need to strengthen Syria’s capacity to combat shared threats. Representative Joe Wilson said those “standing in the way of peace will fail.”
The United States maintains a limited military presence in Syria as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, focusing on counterterrorism operations, training local partners – the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – and preventing the group’s resurgence after the collapse of its territorial control.
Syrian state media reported that two Syrian security personnel were also wounded. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Damascus “strongly condemns the terrorist attack.”