By Farzand Hussein
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq have recently been subjected to intense rocket and drone attacks by Iran-backed militias, marking the first of its kind in the region since the Iraq war in 2003. Such attacks reflect a failure in the foreign policy of Joe Biden’s administration towards Syria, and the whole Middle East region.
Prior to Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Biden administration seemed to put all the outstanding issues in Syria and the Middle East – especially the growing Iranian influence – on the back burner, if not ignoring them altogether.
This was echoed clearly in a speech on Sep. 28 by Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser, who said, “The Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades.” Much to his chagrin, his statement aged poorly.
Biden’s policy in Syria
The Biden administration’s Syria policy has aimed at ensuring the enduring defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS), reducing hostilities, and improving humanitarian conditions, according to U.S. officials cited by the Atlantic Council, an American think tank. None have materialized, however.
ISIS, despite not having any territorial control, continues to launch operations in vast areas in Syria, especially Deir ez-Zor, where American personnel are present. They target civilians, fighters of the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Syrian government forces.
In October, ISIS carried out a total of 15 attacks, 11 of which were claimed by the group, killing 13 people and injuring 10 others, according to the Monitoring and Documentation Department of North Press. On Nov. 26-27 alone, the extremist group killed 16 Syrian government soldiers and injured 27 others in the Deir ez-Zor desert.
Although battle lines in Syria have been stagnant since 2019, hostilities are still taking place in the country: Russia and the Syrian government continue to bombard northwestern Syria with airstrikes and artillery; ISIS has not ceased its operations; the SDF has for months been fighting against militants affiliated with the Syrian government and Iran in Deir ez-Zor; and Turkey has repeatedly attacked SDF-held areas in northern and northeastern Syria.
The humanitarian conditions have not improved either. Around 90 percent of the country’s population is living below poverty line, and approximately 12 million Syrians are food insecure, three million of whom are grappling with acute food insecurity, according to the United Nations. The Feb. 6 earthquake, which stuck the northwest of the country, has further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis.
Not a priority
Since assuming office in 2020, U.S. President Joe Biden has been seen to put Syria off the country’s radar. He has merely maintained the already-existing 900 American troops as part of the US-led Global Coalition’s mission of defeating ISIS. The administration has looked more focused on the war in Ukraine, the strategic competition with China, and, currently, the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Regarding the Syrian government, the Biden administration has maintained existing sanctions and introduced the Captagon Act, which has been quite ineffective in curbing the drug trade within Syria and its flow to neighboring countries. Instead, it has appeared to serve as a deterrent measure for Arab states seeking to normalize relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“Syria is not a priority for Joe Biden. He has done the minimum service by maintaining the American presence in northeast Syria and refusing any normalization with the regime of Bashar al-Assad.… The war in Ukraine and competition with China are distancing Washington from Syrian affairs,” Fabrice Balanche, associate professor and research director at the University of Lyon 2, told North Press.
Renewed interest
Since the Israel-Hamas war, over 70 attacks targeted U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, resulting in more than 60 injuries, some of which were traumatic brain injuries, according to the Pentagon. American officials blamed Iran for standing behind the attacks.
By standing still, the current U.S. administration has not only emboldened Iran to increase its encroachment in Syria, but also attack American personnel in the country.
Iran, through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and their affiliated local militias, pulls the strings and exerts control over wide swaths of land in Syria. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has emerged after the Oct. 7 onslaught and claimed most of the attacks on U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq, is a moniker for IRGC-linked militias in both countries.
In addition, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has repeatedly warned over the past month the U.S. and Israel of “consequences” if the war in Gaza continues.
Researcher Fabrice Balanche added, “After the October 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, the United States was forced to take a renewed interest in Syria due to the Iranian presence. US troops are being harassed by Iran in retaliation for US support for Israel. Iran’s goal is to push them to leave.”
Potential withdrawal?
To his credit, Biden has so far chosen not to withdraw U.S. forces from northern Syria and leave behind his country’s allies in Syria, the SDF, something which his predecessor, Donald Trump, has done twice. During Trump’s tenure, two Turkish military operations in northern Syria were authorized, which saw Russia boost its influence in the war-ravaged country and caused the displacement of approximately 600,000 original inhabitants.
On Mar. 8, Rep. Matt Gaetz proposed a legislation for a complete U.S. withdrawal from Syria which failed in a 103-321 vote.
Balanche ruled out any withdrawal of American troops from Syria under Biden in his current term “because he would be accused of weakness by the Republicans.”
“But once Trump is elected, because he will be the Republican candidate, he can decide to withdraw the troops so as not to put them in danger, as in October 2019, considering that it is an ‘endless war’. Everything will depend on the duration of the war in Gaza and its consequences. A priority, on the Democrats’ side, firmness towards Iran prevails and there is no question of backing down. But Washington does not want to increase its military support,” the associated professor concluded.