Trump Vows Retaliation After IS Kills 3 Americans in Syria

Does the attack prove partnering with Syria's new government is catastrophic, or that U.S. presence remains essential?

Published 1 day ago·Updated 9 hours ago

Trump Vows Retaliation After IS Kills 3 Americans in Syria

story

Above: A U.S. soldier on patrol by the Suwaydiyah oil fields in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on Feb. 13, 2021. Image credit: Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Anti-Trump narrative

Partnering with the al-Jolani regime was a catastrophic error that directly led to American deaths. The terrorist who ambushed and killed three Americans was a high-ranking security official in al-Jolani's Interior Ministry forces, trained by Turkish intelligence. This regime's incompetence and terrorist connections make it a threat to Americans, Europeans and the entire region.

Lezgin Botan on X

Jino Victoria Doabi on X

Pro-Trump narrative

The IS ambush that killed three Americans proves exactly why a limited U.S. presence in Syria remains essential to homeland security. Partnering with Syrian forces under President al-Sharaa keeps the fight local and prevents IS resurgence from threatening Europe and America. Withdrawing now would only embolden terrorists and dishonor the sacrifice of fallen heroes.

Tom Barrack on X New York Post

Narrative C

This attack exposes the fragile reality facing Ahmed al-Sharaa. A year after toppling Bashar al-Assad, he is struggling to unify fractured forces, contain sectarian violence, manage Kurdish tensions and sustain U.S. support while terrorism continues to undermine stability and complicate prospects for peace nationwide ahead.

The New York Times