The US envoy states that Syrian strategy is “not like it was in the past 100 years” as the troops withdraw.
The US will close most Syrian military bases and integrate the operations into one location as part of a policy overhaul announced by the new envoy.
Thomas Barrack was appointed US Ambassador and Syrian envoy by President Donald Trump last month, saying Shift has rejected Washington’s failed approach of past century in Syria.
In an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV on Monday, Barrack said the military drawdown and base closure reflects a strategic readjustment.
“What I can assure you is that our current Syrian policy will not approach Syrian policy of the past 100 years.
The US forces are expected to withdraw from seven of the eight bases, including those in the province of Deir Az Zor in eastern Syria, with the remaining operations centred on Hasaka in the northeast.
Two security sources told Reuters that US military hardware and staff have already begun relocation. “All the units are being pulled from Deir Az Zor,” a source told Reuters in April.
US State Department officials said military levels will be adjusted “as needed” in response to operational demand.
Approximately 2,000 American soldiers remain in Syria, embedded primarily in the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a key partner in the Isil-led campaign (ISIS).
The SDF, controlled by the People’s Protection Unit (YPG), a Kurdish militia, has been a long-standing issue with NATO Ally Turkiye.
The PKK, which recently announced its disbandment, fought decades of armed rebellion against the Turkish state.
Barack calls the SDF a “very important factor” for the US Congress, emphasizing that integration of the group into Syrian military is now a priority. “Everyone needs to be rational in their expectations,” he said.
Since the expulsion of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December, international involvement with Damascus has resumed under new president Ahmed al-Sharraa. Barracks recently raised the US flag at the residence of an ambassador in Damascus for the first time since 2012.
Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan criticized the SDF last week, accusing him of “stopping tactics” despite agreeing to join the Syrian army.