By Louisa Loveluck and Missy Ryan
For U.S. troops under fire from Iran-linked groups in Iraq and Syria, the military mission that brought them to the Middle East is largely complete, experts say. Whether and when to withdraw them is more complicated — an issue that has taken on greater urgency after three U.S. service members were killed in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.
The roughly 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria are described by U.S. officials as part of an operation to keep the Islamic State from regaining a foothold in the region. But with the jihadist group largely degraded, American soldiers now find themselves targeted by other adversaries, who say the attacks will continue as long as Washington maintains its support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
“What’s happened these past few weeks has exposed their vulnerability,” said Dareen Khalifa, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group. “I hope this will raise questions about why they are vulnerable, and how else they can make their presence less of a liability for everyone else who is working with them.”
The United States had close to 3,000 troops in Jordan as of 2023, according to the Congressional Research Service, focused on Jordanian security and the Islamic State. Officials said Monday that the drone approaching Tower 22, a base in the country’s northeast, was mistaken for a returning American aircraft.
Read more at: Washington Post