Do you see a need for U.S. troops to stay in Iraq and Syria?

The long-standing deployment was never approved by congress

The loss of three American lives, in addition to dozens more severely wounded at a Jordanian base near the Iraq and Syrian borders last weekend has illuminated an uncomfortable question in Washington: is it time for our troops to come home? After all, this is hardly the first attack in recent times.

An attack by Iran-supported, Iraq-based Shiite militias on an airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province wounded at least two American servicemembers on January 20, with U.S. air defenses able to intercept all but two of around 17 short-range ballistic missiles and rockets targeting the base.

In other Iran-backed onslaughts, more than 50 Americans have suffered traumatic brain and other injuries. Some 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria have come under fire more than 150 times since mid-October from these militias angered by Washington’s support of Israel and determined to drive out the foreign forces.

But what are thousands of U.S. troops still doing in the region? And perhaps more importantly, are they just sitting ducks for no real reason?