Can someone explain why the Iowa National Gaurd is in Syria?

[lightbulb27]

WTH? It cost a few people their lives...

https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-military-attack-palmyra-is-22f67e54c1a15fcc643de2672b83aacb?utm_source=onesignal&utm_medium=push&utm_campaign=2025-12-13-Breaking+News

[katiesmuff]

When I saw that on the news I wondered the exact same thing. Why are we using the National Guard for anything at the moment with our standing military free to handle these operations. National guard men and women have real jobs that they are away from, with many put into unnecessary debt for stupid TRUMP reasons and a military now under the command of total incompetent idiots!

[lightbulb27]

yes, but been doing that since Bush era at least.

[katiesmuff]

Understandable back then as we were actively involved in combat and it was a continue rotation of troops regular plus the guard.

[OneViewpoint]

Same reason national guard troops were in Iraq And Afghanistan. The guard is the combat units and the reserves are the combat support and combat service support units.

When active duty troops need to be spelled from a deployment, one option is to replace them with guard and reserve units.

It’s how the system is designed to work.

[Lliam]

I assume it is to protect Syria's oil fields that the U. S. is exploiting.

It sure isn't to fight ISIS since we now support a former terrorist head of ISIS as the Syrian president.

[WindAtMyBack]

The US doesn't care about Syrian oil. It's completely insignificant. The entire Persian Gulf region is only about 2-3% of US oil. Syria is a small fraction of a small fraction.

[Lliam]

@WindAtMyBack. Then why is the U. S. occupying the Syrian oil fields? Trump once said we are not giving it back. "I like oil."

[WindAtMyBack]

I don't know. Maybe to protect it from terrorists. The US sure as hell doesn't need the oil.

It's possible Europe put him up to it also. They are far more dependent on Middle East oil. The US could lose the entirety of Middle East oil and it wouldn't even affect us. It wouldn't be the first time a European country had the US do it's dirty work and got us in trouble in the Middle East.

Then you can look at Syria internally, and how oil affects it. The US doesn't need the oil, but that doesn't mean nobody benefits from it. So look at who benefits and what their relationship is with the US.

Then there is the Syria-Venezuela connection...

[Sal_Monella]

Do Internet research on how the modern American military operates. You apparently do not know. When you learn that, you will understand why. I'm a little surprised why you at 59 does not understand this. Have you been living in a cave?

[lightbulb27]

fair enough, I know we deployed many NG over the years. but it makes one think... why NG, why Syria... stationed in an area not controlled by Syria. So we are still fighting a war... with national guard?
never been in miiltary... thought national guard, didn't go.

[Sal_Monella]

So we are still fighting a war... with national guard?
A large part of the military are active reservists. Reservists are chosen by equipment and unit functions and strength. My local unit is armor and cavalry.

[Anonymous]

We had the National Guard deployed under Teflon Biden, but that's different.

[lightbulb27]

and blow them up Bush too...

[Opinion Owner]

And probably slick Willie.

[lightbulb27]

don't recall big wars under his time, but not sure. he got the quiet time...

[Opinion Owner]

Slick Willie's military had the crosshairs on Osama bin Laden's head in Afghanistan, and Willie told the soldier to stand down and let him go. That cost the US about $7 trillion in wars.

[lightbulb27]

I recall he fired a tomahawk and missed...

[Opinion Owner]

I'm talking about a sniper that was told to stand down.

[lightbulb27]

I didn't hear that during his time but Obamas. hindsight is 20x20.

[Opinion Owner]

“Summary of the "Sniper" Myth
• The Fact: Bill Clinton did pass on several opportunities to kill bin Laden because of concerns over "collateral damage" (civilian deaths) and a lack of 100% certain intelligence.
• The Fiction: The idea that a sniper had bin Laden in his literal crosshairs and was told to stand down via a phone call from the White House is more of a Hollywood-style dramatization than a recorded historical event. At that time, most attempts were planned via cruise missiles or local operatives, not U. S. military snipers on the ground.”

[lightbulb27]

assassinations are risky... seems his decision was rational even in hindsight. It just worked out badly. there was no declared war. Prez makes lots of big calls all the time. no wonder he had a lot of stress to relieve... not to mention, a stuffy wife.
That tune changing, Id expect anyone in the world is a target...

[Opinion Owner]

“• The "Stand Down" aspect: On at least one occasion, a strike was called off because bin Laden was reportedly with members of the royal family of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The U. S. feared that killing high-ranking officials from a friendly nation would cause a catastrophic diplomatic crisis.”

Just hours before the 9/11 attacks, Bill Clinton was recorded at a private business meeting in Australia. On that tape, he admitted:

"I nearly got him once. I could have killed him, but I would have to destroy a little town called Kandahar in Afghanistan and kill 300 innocent women and children, and then I would have been no better than him. And so I didn't do it."

[lightbulb27]

sounds good except 9/11/2001 was 9 months into Bush's term. Maybe they are thinking of bombing in Libya. If that was AI, don't believe everything AI says.
I can believe he held back blowing up royal family. Look what happened taking Saddam out and Arab Spring.

[ChiTown33]

How quickly we forget Somalia (Blackhawk down). Or the U. S. S. Cole under Bubba (Clinton). You don't always have to be in a war to be a target. The U. S. is a World and economic power. As such it has interests to maintain. That will make us a target.
That is why Iowa Guardsmen were there. by the way. IOWA represent!🤣

[NathanDavis]

well... someone has to guard the oil...

[exitseven]

Often National Guardsmen are activated to fight in foreign countries. This is not unusual.

[purplepoppy]

Nice of the French to let them borrow their flag.

[CalmUntilAbused]

They cut off the coloured stripes off their flag when asked if Iowa can borrow their flag. 🤣

[Agape93]

Because they do get deployed, my dude.

[beefcakebradybatson]

Ask Agent Orange !!!