US to Scale Back Military Presence in Syria

The United States will significantly reduce its military footprint in Syria, consolidating its operations from eight bases down to just one, according to the country’s newly appointed envoy to Syria, Thomas Barak.

The decision marks a major policy shift, with Washington acknowledging that its previous approach toward Damascus has failed to deliver results over the past century.

Barak stated that the US strategy is evolving, with a focus on reassessing longstanding methods that have not achieved the desired political or security outcomes in the region.

According to Fox News, the US has already closed its base known as the Green Village and handed over the Euphrates base to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led militia that has partnered with the US in the fight against ISIS. A third base was also shut down, while some American troops have been redeployed to other areas.

This drawdown represents one of the most substantial reductions in US military presence in Syria since operations began during the height of the fight against ISIS.

While the precise number of troops remaining in Syria has not been disclosed, officials have confirmed that the US will maintain one operational base for strategic continuity.

In a related development, there are growing signs of potential US-brokered talks between Turkish officials and representatives of the SDF.

Tulay Hatim Ogullari, co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party in the Turkish Parliament, said that mutual visits between officials from Turkey and northern and eastern Syria could contribute meaningfully to the peace process within Turkey.

Such meetings, if realised, could mark a turning point in efforts to reduce tensions between Ankara and Kurdish forces, who have long been at odds over territorial and political issues in the region.