Syria and the Islamic State: Analyzing America’s Departure

A 2024 argument for the United States to withdraw from Syria while continuing to fight the Islamic State is revisited two years after the actual departure. The author assesses that the withdrawal was chaotic and created power vacuums, failing to achieve the intended strategic benefits. The U.S. abandoned its Kurdish partners, who were then conquered by the new Syrian government, and gained little credit with either Syria or Iraq. The disorderly transition also raised concerns about the escape of high-risk Islamic State detainees.