Syria and U.S. Policy

Syria and U.S. Policy

Updated July 15, 2024
Syria and U.S. Policy
Since 2011, conflict between the government of Syrian
established in 2017 and is affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al
President Bashar al Asad and opposition forces seeking his
Sham, which is an FTO due to its links to Al Qaeda. Many
removal has displaced roughly half of the country’s
residents of this area have been displaced from areas of
population and killed over half a million people. Five
Syria under Asad control, and an estimated 75% depend on
countries operate in or maintain military forces in Syria:
U.N. assistance to meet their basic needs.
Russia, Turkey (Türkiye), Iran, Israel, and the United
Turkish Forces and Aligned Militias
States. The United States supports a negotiated political
Turkish-held areas of northern Syria include territories
settlement to the Syria conflict in accordance with U.N.
occupied by Turkish forces in cooperation with Syrian Arab
Security Council Resolution 2254 and seeks the enduring
proxy forces. In these areas, Turkey has established local
defeat of the Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS/ISIL). U.S.
councils subordinate to the Turkish provinces they border,
policymakers work to address threats posed by IS remnants
with Turkish provincial governments overseeing the
and detainees, counter Al Qaeda, facilitate humanitarian
provision of some basic services.
access to Syria, and manage Russian, Turkish, and Iranian
challenges to U.S. operations. Earthquakes in February
Figure 1. Syria: Areas of Influence
2023 and resurgent Russia-backed government attacks on
rebel held areas of northwest Syria created additional
humanitarian needs. Following the October 2023 terrorist
attacks in Israel and Israel’s military operations in Gaza,
Iran-backed militia have attacked U.S. military personnel in
Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, prompting U.S. response strikes.
Strikes in Syria attributed to Israel continue.
Areas of Control
The Asad Government
The Asad government—backed by Russia, Iran, and
aligned Syrian and foreign militia forces—controls about
two thirds of Syria’s territory, including most major cities.
In 2021, President Asad won a fourth seven-year term; U.S.
officials described the election as “an insult to democracy.”
Some armed resistance to Asad’s rule remains, but the Arab
League and some Arab states have normalized relations
with the government and engage Asad and his senior

officials.
Source: CRS, using ESRI and U.S. State Department data. Gray areas
Kurdish-Arab Military and Civilian Authorities
remote and largely uninhabited.
After the defeat of the Islamic State by the largely Kurdish
The Islamic State
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Kurdish
U.S. military officials assess that the Islamic State operates
authorities and their Arab partners in northeast Syria
as a cohesive, low-level insurgency, targeting Asad
established the Autonomous Administration of North and
government forces in southwest Syria and the central Syrian
East Syria (AANES), also known as the Self
desert, and the SDF in northern and eastern Syria.
Administration of Northeast Syria (SANES). The SDF and
its political wing (the Syrian Democratic Council, SDC)
Islamic State Detainees. The SDF continues to hold about
play a leading role in the AANES, whose leaders have
10,000 IS fighters in 26 detention facilities across northern
stated that it is not aligned with either the Asad government
Syria. In January 2022, U.S. forces joined SDF forces in a
or opposition forces. Turkey opposes Kurdish autonomy in
lengthy battle to retake a prison seized by IS fighters. The
Syria and clashes with the main Kurdish group within the
SDF also retains custody of nearly 46,000 people linked to
SDF because of its links with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
the Islamic State (mostly women and children) at the Al
(PKK), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization
Hol and Roj displaced persons camps. U.S. officials assess
(FTO). Turkish strikes in Syria following an October 2023
that the Islamic State “views its fighters in detention and the
PKK attack in Turkey damaged civilian infrastructure in
population in the Al Hol displaced persons camp as keys to
areas under AANES control. Some Arab tribal forces have
its resurgence.” The FY2024 Consolidated Appropriations
taken up arms against the SDF since August 2023, with
Act (P.L. 118-47) directed $25 million to the U.S.
reported Syrian government support.
government Al Hol Action Plan.
Opposition and Extremist Forces
2023 Earthquakes
Opposition-held areas of northwest Syria are administered
In February 2023, successive 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude
by the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG). The SSG was
earthquakes struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border,
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Syria and U.S. Policy
resulting in over 47,000 fatalities across both countries.
would provide the requested amount and recommends the
Within Syria, the northwest—including areas controlled by
rescission of $50 million in FY2024 appropriated funds.
opposition and extremist groups, and by Turkish-backed
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s reported version
Syrian militia forces—was most impacted. The United
of the FY2025 NDAA (S. 4638) would preclude the
States mobilized $251.5 million in humanitarian assistance
Secretary of Defense from reducing the total number of
to earthquake-affected populations in Syria in FY2023.
U.S. armed forces in northeast Syria to fewer than 400 until
U.S. Policy
the Secretary certifies the independent capability of U.S.
partner forces to degrade and defeat IS threats and partners’
The Biden Administration identifies four policy priorities in
ability to effectively and humanely detain IS members.
pursuing a political settlement to the conflict as envisioned
in Resolution 2254: (1) sustaining the U.S. and coalition
Sanctions
campaign against the Islamic State; (2) supporting local
The United States maintains sanctions on Syria for its
ceasefires; (3) expanding humanitarian access; and (4)
support for terrorism, interference in Lebanon, chemical
pressing for accountability and respect for international law
weapons use, and human rights violations. U.S. compliance
while promoting human rights and nonproliferation,
guidance states that the United States “remains committed
including through the imposition of targeted sanctions.
to ensuring that humanitarian assistance flows to the Syrian
people.”
U.S. Military Presence: Operation Inherent Resolve
In February 2024, the House passed H.R. 3202, the
“Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act of 2023,” which
U.S. forces have operated inside Syria since 2015 pursuant
would expand sanctions authorized by the Caesar Syria
to the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military
Civilian Protection Act of 2019 (22 U.S.C. §8791 note) and
Force (AUMF). U.S. operations in Syria as part of
extend that act’s effective date from 2024 to 2032.
Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) seek “the enduring
defeat of the ISIS.” “A small number” of U.S. troops (~800)
Humanitarian Assistance
are in Syria to conduct counter-IS operations and support
The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian
U.S. partner forces. Most U.S. forces are deployed in
assistance to the Syria crisis, allocating more than $17.8
northeast Syria in support of the SDF. Some U.S. troops
billion since FY2012 for humanitarian efforts in Syria and
support the Syrian Free Army (SFA) at the At Tanf garrison
in neighboring states that host Syrian refugees. In 2024, the
in south east Syria, along a transit route between Iraq and
UN estimates that more than 16.7 million Syrians require
Syria used by both IS fighters and by Iran-backed militias.
humanitarian support out of a population of 23.5 million.
Since 2015, CENTCOM has conducted periodic military
Cross-Border Assistance. The Asad government in July
strikes in Syria outside the framework of OIR, including on
2024 extended permission to the United Nations to deliver
targets linked to Al Qaeda, Syrian government chemical
cross-border aid to opposition held areas of northwest Syria
weapons-related targets, and Iran-backed militias—some of
using the Bab al Hawa crossing until January 2025. The
which have used Syria-based facilities to monitor and target
U.N. Security Council had provided a mandate for cross-
U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq.
border aid with notification to (rather than the permission
of) the Asad government from 2014 until July 2023, when
Since October 2023, the U.S. military has conducted strikes
Russia prevented the mandate’s reauthorization.
on facilities in eastern Syria associated with Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militias in
Stabilization Assistance
response to attacks by Iran-backed militias on U.S. forces in
The United States has provided more than $1.3 billion in
Syria and Iraq. Strikes have targeted U.S. forces at At Tanf,
stabilization assistance for non-regime-held areas of Syria
near the Euphrates River valley, in far northeast Syria, and
since 2011. The State Department describes stabilization
in Jordan near the Syrian border. U.S. officials report force
assistance in northeast Syria as a counterweight to the
protection concerns related to terrorist groups, Russia,
influence of the Islamic State. The FY2024 Consolidated
Syrian government forces, and Iran-backed groups.
Appropriations Act (P.L. 118-47) provides funds under
U.S. Policy Tools
titles III and IV of Division K of the act “notwithstanding
any other provision of law, for non-lethal stabilization
Syria Train and Equip Program
assistance for Syria, including for emergency medical and
The Syria Train and Equip program, authorized by
rescue response and chemical weapons investigations.” The
Congress in 2014 and funded via the Counter-ISIS Train
House-passed version of the FY2025 foreign assistance
and Equip Fund (CTEF), seeks to enable the SDF and the
appropriations bill (H.R. 8771) would prohibit the use of
SFA in sustaining the defeat of the Islamic State. U.S.
funds made available by the act in Asad-controlled areas.
officials assessed in March 2024 that the SDF “has the
Issues for Congress
ability to successfully execute unilateral operations but
continued to rely on Coalition forces for some capabilities.”
Congress may consider whether increased violence within
U.S. officials reported in March 2024 that the coalition is
Syria, post-October 2023 attacks on U.S. forces in Syria,
working to “encourage greater SFA independence.”
and developments in regional conflicts are affecting U.S.
goals for Syria and whether or how U.S. military operations
FY2024 Funding and FY2025 Proposals. The FY2024
in Syria, Syria-related diplomacy, and/or humanitarian and
Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 118-47) made
stabilization operations should adapt.
$397.5 million available for CTEF, including $156 million
for Syria. It also directed the rescission of $50 million in
Christopher M. Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern
prior year CTEF funds. The President requests $147.9
Affairs
million in FY2025 CTEF funds for Syria programs. The
House-passed defense appropriations bill (H.R. 8774)
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Syria and U.S. Policy

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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11930 · VERSION 10 · UPDATED