Kirby’s comments came after a drone attack on an American base in northeast Syria was allegedly perpetrated by an Iraqi militia group, resulting in the death of one American contractor and injuries to five US service members and another contractor. President Biden authorized precision airstrikes in response, and Kirby commended the president’s actions, calling them "swift" and "bold".
29 December 2022, 15:32 GMT
Kirby stressed that the US will continue to defend its troops and facilities in Syria and is not ruling out additional action.
"...If the President deems it appropriate and necessary to continue to protect our troops and our facilities," Kirby stated, "we’re going to keep at that and that message is sent loud and clear."
He confirmed that Biden is "absolutely" committed to maintaining the presence of US troops in Syria.
He concluded by asserting that the US will always act decisively to protect its people and interests, as demonstrated by the recent events in Syria.
Nevertheless, there is no unanimity on Capitol Hill regarding the American Middle East presence strategy. In particular, Republican anti-interventionists in Congress have called for the return of US troops and for a focus on preventing terrorists from entering US territory through the southern borders.
*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries