U.S. troops killed in Syria suicide attack claimed by ISIS

1/16/19
U.S. troops were among those killed in an attack in northern Syria Wednesday -- the same day that Vice President Mike Pence said ISIS, which claimed responsibility for the attack, "has been defeated." The U.S.-led coalition in Syria, Operation Inherent Resolve, said a tweet that "U.S. service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today." A U.S. military official also confirmed to CBS News senior national defense correspondent David Martin reports by Kurdish media outlets that at least two Americans were among the dead in the city of Manbij, not far from the Turkish border, after an explosion hit a coalition convoy. The U.S. military has not said how many Americans were among the bombing victims, but at least one report said as many as four U.S. service members were killed. If true, Martin notes that it would be the single largest loss of U.S. life in Syria since American forces were deployed there in 2015.

The attack comes just weeks after President Trump declared ISIS defeated and said U.S. troops were coming home. Speaking to a gathering of U.S. ambassadors at the State Department on Wednesday, after the Pentagon confirmed the deaths of American troops in Syria, Pence repeated both of Mr. Trump's assertions.

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Rogue Valley said:

U.S. troops killed in Syria suicide attack claimed by ISIS

ISIS suicide-bomber strikes in Manbij, Syria.



The US has a small base in Manbij, Syria, established about six months ago as a blocking force to prevent Erdogan from slaughtering the US-allied Syrian Kurds. The bombing was in front of a restaurant next to the town souk.

An impetuous decision by Trump to pull out of Syria without consulting with either the US military or the US intelligence community. Obviously, ISIS is not defeated in Syria as Jim Mattis and everyone else in govt. tried to explain to Trump.

Related: US service members killed in ISIS-claimed attack in Syria

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Defense Department officials said that initial withdrawals would be limited to equipment and that no troops had yet departed

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trixare4kids said:

Did you say the same about Obama's zeal to rush bringing home all troops from Iraq home by Christmas? How about when he blatantly underestimated the enemy, by calling ISIS the JV?
If so, your concern is valid. If not, it's politics as usual.
BTW, as of five days ago, (January 11), so what you are saying about the president not listening to intelligence is a lie.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...455bda-1585-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html

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Rogue Valley said:

U.S. troops killed in Syria suicide attack claimed by ISIS

ISIS suicide-bomber strikes in Manbij, Syria.



The US has a small base in Manbij, Syria, established about six months ago as a blocking force to prevent Erdogan from slaughtering the US-allied Syrian Kurds. The bombing was in front of a restaurant next to the town souk.

An impetuous decision by Trump to pull out of Syria without consulting with either the US military or the US intelligence community. Obviously, ISIS is not defeated in Syria as Jim Mattis and everyone else in govt. tried to explain to Trump.

Related: US service members killed in ISIS-claimed attack in Syria

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RabidAlpaca said:

For ****'s actual sake can we have one god damn thread where you stay on topic and stop trying to redirect blame towards Obama? State you like Trump's policies or hate his policies but at least stay on topic.

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RabidAlpaca said:

For ****'s actual sake can we have one god damn thread where you stay on topic and stop trying to redirect blame towards Obama? State you like Trump's policies or hate his policies but at least stay on topic.

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ttwtt78640 said:

Hmm... never mind citing recent precedent or other examples of similar policy decisions because Trump. Keep in mind that no troops have yet left Syria.

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Rogue Valley said:

Equipment goes out first. Then the troops. It will be interesting to see what Erdogan does when the US blocking force leaves Manbij.

His armor is ready to sweep eastward into the Kurdish cantons of Rojava from the occupied Kurd city of Afrin.

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ttwtt78640 said:

OK, if the Turkish military becomes a security threat to the region then retaliate with military force. Unlike much of the current enemy in Syria, the offending Turkish troops are more easily identified.

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Rogue Valley said:

Once the US withdraws its military assets from Syria, it will be very hard to re-enter with numerous active Russian S-400 anti-air systems.

In addition, Turkey can use the Ahrar al-Sharqiya (Islamists) militia ally to attack the Kurds. Ankara would provide air support.

Erdogan wants to ethnically cleanse the Syrian Kurdish homeland of Rojava and resettle Sunni Arabs into this area. Trump doesn't seem to mind.

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