Fighting between U.S. troops and militias draws scrutiny to Syria role

Officially, the United States is in northeastern Syria to counter the Islamic State, a holdover of the multiyear campaign to destroy the terrorist group. The current mission is considered to be “noncombat,” but U.S. forces often come in to conflict with other forces — including the militias aligned with Iran.

That can pose complications and risks, said Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, who previously served as a staff member at the Pentagon and in Congress. “Just because it’s a noncombat mission doesn’t mean that those forces aren’t somehow at risk,” Lord said.

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