{"id":24879,"date":"2019-10-07T15:24:33","date_gmt":"2019-10-07T15:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/07\/how-the-us-troop-withdrawal-from-northern-syria-could-create-an-isis-resurgence\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:34:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:34:05","slug":"how-the-us-troop-withdrawal-from-northern-syria-could-create-an-isis-resurgence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/07\/how-the-us-troop-withdrawal-from-northern-syria-could-create-an-isis-resurgence\/","title":{"rendered":"US withdrawal in Syria is only a small number of special operators, says Trump administration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon said Monday it does not endorse a Turkish operation in northern Syria, and that U.S. troops would not support or be involved in such an operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The statement from the Pentagon follows Sunday\u2019s White House announcement that U.S. troops would withdraw from northeastern Syrian ahead of a potential Turkish military incursion to rout out Kurdish militants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A senior administration official told reporters Monday that Sunday\u2019s announcement did not constitute a full U.S. withdrawal from Syria and that only 50 to 100 U.S. special operations forces were moving to other locations in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The official explained that Trump\u2019s decision to move the special operators out of the zone of a potential Turkish operation was done to protect troops and keep them out of the crossfire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those troops are moving to more secure areas over the next several days, the official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Department of Defense made clear to Turkey \u2014 as did the president \u2014 that we do not endorse a Turkish operation in Northern Syria,&#8221; Jonathan Hoffman, the chief Pentagon spokesman said. \u201cThe U.S. armed forces will not support, or be involved in any such operation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2019\/10\/07\/us-troops-start-pullout-from-along-turkeys-border-in-syria\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"181\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19280292703741.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">American troops start pullout from along Turkey\u2019s border in Syria<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said American troops began pulling back Monday from positions along the border in northeast Syria ahead of an expected Turkish invasion that the Syrian Kurds say will overturn five years of achievements in the battle against the Islamic State group.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkey\u2019s potential invasion of northern Syria threatens a resurgence of Islamic State fighters in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DoD reiterated that \u201ccoordination and cooperation\u201d were the best options forward and that unilateral action could create risks for Turkey, Hoffman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air Force Lt. Col. Carla Gleason, a Pentagon spokeswoman, confirmed to Military Times that Turkey had been pulled off the air tasking order and that the U.S. was not sharing reconnaissance drone feeds with the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thousands of ISIS fighters under the watch of U.S.-backed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/03\/25\/us-backed-kurdish-fighters-want-international-tribunal-for-isis-detainees\/\" target=_blank>Syrian Democratic Forces<\/a> across dozens of pop-up detention facilities in northern Syria represent a time bomb waiting to explode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their release could lead to a comeback for the terrorist group that has since largely been scattered to remote ares under intense coalition air support and sustained operations by SDF forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House said Turkey would be responsible for the ISIS fighters detained over the last several years. Sunday\u2019s statement came following a call between President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, some argue America\u2019s NATO ally does not have the capacity or will to oversee the tens of thousands of detainees and refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTurkey has neither the intent, desire, nor capacity to manage 60k detainees in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/05\/syrian-kurds-send-8-american-women-children-captured-with-isis-back-to-the-us\/\" target=_blank>al Hol camp<\/a>, which State and DoD IGs [inspector general] warn is the nucleus for a resurgent ISIS. Believing otherwise is a reckless gamble with our national security,\u201d Brett McGurk, Trump\u2019s former envoy for the fight against ISIS, tweeted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkey has long made claims of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/06\/turkey-threatens-military-operation-into-syria-against-american-backed-kurdish-forces\/\" target=_blank>a pending invasion of northern Syria <\/a>to buffer against what it sees as Kurdish groups aligned with the terrorist group known as the Kurdistan Workers\u2019 Party, or PKK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kurdish YPG fighters who fought under the larger SDF umbrella organization to liberate northeastern Syria from ISIS fighters have various allegiances to the PKK. That connection has soured relations between Ankara and Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1166774839.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"U.S. soldiers chat next to a Turkish military vehicle\" class=\"wp-image-53095\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1166774839.jpg.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1166774839.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1166774839.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1166774839.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. soldiers chat next to a Turkish military vehicle during a joint patrol with Turkish troops in the Syrian village of al-Hashisha on the outskirts of Tal Abyad town along the border with Turkish troops, on Sept. 8, 2019. (Delil Souleiman\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stressed relationship now threatens a breakout or release of ISIS prisoners, which could flood the battlefield with new fighters and offset gains made by the coalition and SDF forces who have grounded the terror group into small rural and desert pockets across the Euphrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SDF forces are currently holding roughly 11,000 ISIS detainees across more than 30 detention facilities, according to Marine Capt. Marisa Roberts, a spokeswoman for the the U.S.-led mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria known as Operation Inherent Resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among those detainees are also nearly 2,000 foreign fighters, \u201cwho would otherwise try to return to their home countries and plot attacks on innocent civilians,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A camp for internally displaced persons known as al-Hol, located in Hasakah province, Syria, is well over capacity, holding nearly 70,000 people including thousands of ISIS families, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/media.defense.gov\/2019\/Aug\/09\/2002169448\/-1\/-1\/1\/Q3FY2019_LEADIG_OIR_REPORT.PDF\" target=_blank>DoD report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A DoD inpector general\u2019s report said the SDF were only capable of providing \u201cminimal security\u201d for the sprawling camp, which has allowed \u201cuncontested conditions to spread of ISIS ideology.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report also said that due to the drawdown of U.S. forces in Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve was having trouble tracking the situation in the camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. Central Command noted in the inspector general report that ISIS was likely \u201cexploiting the lack of security\u201d at the camp to recruit and reestablish communications with fighters who left the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A congressionally mandated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usip.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Syria%20Study%20Group%20Final%20Report.pdf\" target=_blank>report<\/a> on the Syrian civil war also sounded the alarm regarding the threat poised by the overburdened ISIS prison camps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSecurity conditions are tenuous inside both IDP [internally displaced persons] camps and pop-up prisons,\u201d the final report for the Syria Study Group reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report warned that ISIS fighters could mimic its tactic of prison breaks to refuel its rise across Syria as it did in Iraq in 2012 and 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/09\/29\/syria-demands-withdrawal-of-all-american-turkish-forces\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19271508582118.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Syria demands withdrawal of all American, Turkish forces<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Syria\u2019s top diplomat on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of American and Turkish forces from the country and said his government reserves the right to defend its territory in any way necessary if they remain.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad\u2019s forces move to fill the vacuum in northeast Syria, the regime \u201ccould \u201cweaponize\u201d these individuals in the same way it utilized al-Qaeda fighters against the United States during the war in Iraq,\u201d the report reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sunday\u2019s White House statement has received much criticism from across the national security spectrum, some who see Trump\u2019s decision as an abandonment of America\u2019s ally in its fight against ISIS in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former U.S. CENTCOM commander Ret. Gen. Joseph Votel told Military Times that he was \u201cdisappointed\u201d in the policy decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe SDF have been exceptional partners,\u201d and the group absorbed nearly 11,000 casualties in the fight against ISIS, Votel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe would have not been successful against ISIS in Syria without them. I am concerned what this might mean for future partnerships,\u201d Votel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, Trump, buffeted by withering criticism, threatened action against Turkey if harm comes to the Kurds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roberts told Military Times that the coalition has helped train nearly 300 security guards to help man <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/04\/07\/us-back-kurdish-forces-foil-islamic-state-prison-break\/\" target=_blank>the SDF prison camps<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSecurely detaining thousands of Daesh fighters is a matter of global security and the SDF needs the assistance of the international community,&#8221; Roberts said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Repatriating foreign terrorists to their countries of origin for potential prosecution is the best long-term solution to prevent them from returning to the battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, repatriation has been a contentious issue among allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/09\/26\/a-bipartisan-report-calls-for-the-us-to-halt-its-withdrawal-from-syria\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1166774862.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">A bipartisan report calls for the US to halt its withdrawal from Syria<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Absent U.S. assistance in the region, America risks handing the reins of the country\u2019s future to a resurgent ISIS, al-Qaida offshoots and the maligned interests of Iran, Russia and other actors in the region.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe United States Government has pressed France, Germany, and other European nations, from which many captured ISIS fighters came, to take them back, but they did not want them and refused,\u201d the White House statement reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House said that the U.S. &#8220;will not hold them [ISIS detainees] for what could be many years and great cost to the United States taxpayer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Syria Study Group report explained that several European countries have refused to repatriate citizens who fought for ISIS, and instead have sometimes chosen to strip their citizenship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMany of these countries lack the necessary evidence to charge ISIS fighters in domestic courts; others worry that the fighters could be convicted only on lesser charges and would serve short sentences before being released,\u201d The Syria study reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The status of thousands of ISIS fighters in thinly secured SDF prisons is a major national security concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jennifer Cafarella, the research director for Institute for the Study of War, told Military Times that following a Turkish invasion into northern Syria, the SDF could pull security from the prisons and replace them with less capable units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe will work with our other NATO allies and Coalition partners to reiterate to Turkey the possible destabilizing consequences of potential actions to Turkey, the region, and beyond,\u201d Hoffman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Military Times managing editor Howard Altman contributed to this story<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">By abandoning the Kurds we have sent the most dangerous signal possible \u2013 America is an unreliable ally and it\u2019s just a matter of time before China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea act out in dangerous ways.<\/p>&mdash; Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LindseyGrahamSC\/status\/1181205092554493952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 7, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cTurkey has neither the intent, desire, nor capacity to manage 60k detainees in al Hol camp, which State and DoD IGs [inspector general] warn is the nucleus for a resurgent ISIS. Believing otherwise is a reckless gamble with our national security,\u201d Brett McGurk, Trump\u2019s former envoy for the fight against ISIS, tweeted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":53089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,23,92,12,25,67,69],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3398],"class_list":["post-24879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-your-marine-corps"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"JZMVHMSMCJCQ7FDRKZLYXY4R4M","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2019\/10\/07\/how-the-us-troop-withdrawal-from-northern-syria-could-create-an-isis-resurgence\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>US withdrawal in Syria is only a small number of special operators, says Trump administration - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cTurkey has neither the intent, desire, nor capacity to manage 60k detainees in al Hol camp, which State and DoD IGs warn is the nucleus for a resurgent ISIS. Believing otherwise is a reckless gamble with our national security,\u201d Brett McGurk, Trump\u2019s former envoy for the fight against ISIS, tweeted.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US withdrawal in Syria is only a small number of special operators, says Trump administration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cTurkey has neither the intent, desire, nor capacity to manage 60k detainees in al Hol camp, which State and DoD IGs warn is the nucleus for a resurgent ISIS. 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