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SALT LAKE CITY — Wednesday’s suicide bombing attack that killed 16 people, including four Americans in northern Syria, has led to questions about whether the U.S. plan to withdraw troops from the country is the right course of action.
However, three Utah politicians who voiced their opinions on the matter in December are sticking with their respective views on Syria after the attack.
According to the Associated Press, it was the deadliest attack on U.S. troops in Syria since troops went into the country in 2015. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for carrying out the bombing.
On Dec. 19, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw all troops from Syria. His tweet caught many by surprise. It also led to mixed reactions from Utah’s politicians in Washington.
In the Utah delegation, Sen. Mike Lee supported the decision, while Reps. Chris Stewart and John Curtis distanced themselves from it.
So did their opinions change on the matter after Wednesday’s attack? Not really.
While Lee sympathized with the families of those killed in the Wednesday attack, he doubled down on his stance that troops shouldn’t be in Syria because Congress never declared war.
“This tragic loss underscores what should have been obvious for years now: The United States military is engaged in hostilities in Syria, hostilities that were never authorized by Congress as is required by the Constitution,” he said in a statement to KSL.com. “President Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria is the correct one and if other lawmakers disagree, they should submit a formal declaration of war for Congress to vote on.”
Stewart appeared on CNN’s “The Situation Room” Wednesday and said he still opposed removing troops from Syria.
“We don’t set our policy based on one day, one tragedy, one bombing. It has to be broad-based than this,” he said on the show.
"I disagree with the President on Syria. I think we’ve had an enormously positive outcome there with a relatively small number of people,” he added. “It worries me. In fact, I think we need to move very, very carefully in that drawdown.”
I strongly support our military as they work to eradicate terrorism and counter Iranian influence and Russian aggression in the region. We must stay the course.
–Rep. John Curtis
However, he agreed that troops should be removed from other portions of the Middle East.
Curtis, who is a member of both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Middle East subcommittee, said in a statement to KSL.com Friday he also believed the U.S. should keep troops in Syria in the effort to defeat ISIS. It’s the same message he gave previously.
“I want to see an end to the conflict in Syria and bring our troops home as much as anyone. However, this terror attack in Manbij, which claimed four American lives, clearly demonstrates that the defeat of ISIS is a long-term endeavor,” he said. “I strongly support our military as they work to eradicate terrorism and counter Iranian influence and Russian aggression in the region. We must stay the course.”
U.S. troops have remained in Syria since Dec. 19. It’s unclear exactly when U.S. forces will be lifted out of the country.
Editor's note: KSL.com sought comment on the issue from Curtis, Lee and Stewart because they had made vocal comments on the issue in the immediate days of Trump's decision on Syria in December 2018. KSL.com did not reach out to Utah Reps. Rob Bishop or Ben McAdams, or Sen. Mitt Romney.
