NEW YORK: Amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East, the Pentagon is expressing concerns about potential attacks on American troops stationed in the region.
Defense Department officials are particularly concerned about the potential for attacks on American troops in Iraq and Syria, taking advantage of the regional instability to target US or partner forces operating in those countries.
Maj. Geoffrey Carmichael, the spokesperson for the American military operation countering ISIS in Syria and Iraq, said that they would not allow nefarious actors to divert them from their mission. He stated that the US military reserves the inherent right to self-defense when confronting threats to the safety of their forces.
The United States has maintained approximately 900 troops in Syria, with a focus on countering ISIS alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish militia. In Iraq, even though the US ended its combat mission in 2021, around 2,500 American troops remain to advise the Iraqi military.
The situation is particularly sensitive as Israel considers a potential ground invasion of Gaza alongside its airstrikes on the Palestinian territories. The White House has announced its support for Israel, which is targeting the Palestinian civilian population in response to Hamas’ surprise attacks aimed at liberating Palestinian-occupied areas from Israel.
