U.S. to Consolidate Troops in Syria, Overhauls Policy After “Century of Failure”

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The United States will drastically scale back its military presence in Syria, consolidating forces into a single base, part of a sweeping policy overhaul declared by newly appointed U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barrack.

In an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV on Monday, Barrack — who also serves as U.S. ambassador to Turkey — said that U.S. foreign policy in Syria over the past century had been ineffective and was due for a complete reset. “None of them worked,” he stated, referring to prior U.S. approaches in the region.

The shift comes after a dramatic chain of developments in Syria, including the ousting of longtime President Bashar al-Assad last December and the subsequent rise of Ahmed al-Sharaa to power. Since then, the international community, including the United States, has cautiously re-engaged with Damascus.

The U.S. currently maintains around 2,000 troops in Syria, mostly in the northeast, working with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State. However, Barrack confirmed that the number of operational bases will be reduced from eight to just one.

According to military sources cited by Reuters, equipment and personnel have already been withdrawn from Deir el-Zor province and repositioned in Hasakah, indicating the early stages of the consolidation plan. One official noted that the U.S. presence in Deir el-Zor would be completely phased out.

A State Department spokesperson later confirmed that force levels in Syria would be “calibrated based on operational needs and contingencies,” leaving the door open for further drawdowns.

Barrack also stressed the importance of the SDF as a U.S. ally and a key player in congressional considerations. He emphasized the U.S. supports efforts to integrate the SDF into the new Syrian national military framework, even as Turkey remains wary. Ankara views the YPG, which leads the SDF, as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which formally disbanded last month after a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused the SDF of “stalling tactics” in implementing an integration deal with Damascus, highlighting persistent regional tensions even as the U.S. shifts focus.

Barrack symbolically reopened the U.S. diplomatic mission in Damascus last week by raising the American flag over the ambassador’s residence for the first time since diplomatic relations were severed in 2012.

The strategic recalibration underscores President Donald Trump’s broader agenda to reduce overseas military commitments and reevaluate America’s role in protracted Middle East conflicts.

Latest Worthy News