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The United States is seriously considering a complete military withdrawal from Syria, a move that would mark the end of a controversial and increasingly untenable mission stretching back more than a decade. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, senior U.S. officials now see “no reason” to keep American forces in Syria if the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fully disbands.

For President Donald Trump, it would represent the completion of an objective he first pursued during his initial term: ending America’s open-ended military presence in Syria and disentangling U.S. troops from a war with no clear strategic endpoint.

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Mission Collapse in Real Time

The trigger for the Pentagon’s reassessment is the rapid deterioration of the SDF, once Washington’s primary ground partner against ISIS. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has launched an offensive to dismantle armed militias formed during the 14-year civil war and integrate fighters into the national army.

If the Kurdish-led SDF collapses or is absorbed, U.S. officials say the rationale for maintaining American forces disappears.

“There is no reason to stay,” officials told the WSJ, adding that U.S. troops cannot work alongside the Syrian army, which they say includes “jihadist sympathisers” and individuals accused of mass killings of Kurdish and Druze minorities.

U.S. Troops Caught in the Crossfire

Between 800 and 1,500 U.S. soldiers remain stationed in Syria, depending on estimates. Their presence has grown increasingly dangerous as fighting between Syrian government forces and remnants of the SDF intensifies.

In December, three American service members were killed by a Syrian army fighter believed to have Islamic State affiliations — a stark reminder that the mission no longer resembles counterterrorism stabilization, but exposure to factional warfare.

Turkey, a key regional power and NATO ally, has long pressured Washington to abandon the SDF, viewing it as an extension of the PKK, a designated terrorist organization. Ankara was also instrumental in al-Sharaa’s rise to power.

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ISIS Detainee Crisis Forces U.S. Hand

The unraveling of the SDF has triggered another urgent problem: ISIS detention camps.

As SDF control weakens, so does security over facilities holding roughly 7,000 ISIS-linked detainees, many of them women and children from more than 50 countries. The detainees have largely never been charged or processed through courts, creating a legal and humanitarian limbo.

In response, US Central Command has begun transferring detainees out of Syria. This week, 150 prisoners were moved to Iraq, with plans to eventually relocate all detainees.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Iraq’s decision to take custody of the prisoners, urging foreign governments to finally repatriate their citizens and hold them accountable.

“The United States urges countries to take responsibility,” Rubio said, making clear that Syria will no longer serve as the world’s dumping ground for unwanted ISIS detainees.

Trump Envoy Signals the End

Trump’s ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, publicly confirmed what many in Washington are now admitting privately.

“The original purpose of the SDF as the primary anti-ISIS force on the ground has largely expired,” Barrack said earlier this month.

He added that Syria’s situation has “fundamentally transformed,” noting Damascus joined the global coalition against ISIS in late 2025 and has signaled willingness to assume responsibility for security, including detention facilities.

That admission alone undercuts the justification for a continued U.S. military footprint.

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Establishment Pushback and the ‘Betrayal’ Narrative

Not everyone is on board. Brett McGurk, a longtime architect of U.S. counter-ISIS policy under Obama and Trump’s first term, blasted the shift.

“Northeast Syria is deeply concerning,” McGurk warned, arguing that Kurdish forces remain essential partners and that any security breakdown could have international consequences.

But critics counter that McGurk’s position embodies the very mindset Trump was elected to dismantle: endless commitments, permanent partners, and no exit strategy.

Strategic Reality Sets In

The likely SDF collapse has revived accusations that Washington “betrays” its partners. Yet others argue the truth is more uncomfortable: the mission itself has expired, and staying only prolongs instability while risking American lives.

Trump has repeatedly said U.S. forces should not be used as global referees or human shields for regional conflicts that refuse to resolve themselves.

With Syria’s battlefield dynamics shifting, ISIS detainees being relocated, and no viable local partner remaining, the Pentagon is now confronting the reality Trump identified years ago.

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Conclusion

A full U.S. withdrawal from Syria now appears not only possible — but logical.

The SDF is collapsing, the counter-ISIS mission has largely run its course, and American troops are increasingly exposed to forces they cannot partner with and cannot control. What remains is a choice between realism and inertia.

If President Trump follows through, Syria would mark another decisive break from the era of endless wars — and a reminder that American power is strongest when it knows when to leave.

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