US presence in Syria grows amid search for missing American journalist
The U.S. military says a strike killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif in Syria on Thursday, Dec. 19. It marks a significant step in America’s efforts to prevent ISIS from redeveloping after the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad nearly two weeks ago.
The strike came the same day the Pentagon acknowledged the U.S. has roughly twice as many troops in Syria as they previously disclosed. 2,000 U.S. troops are currently in Syria, rather than the 900 U.S. military officials previously said were there.
A Pentagon spokesperson says the higher number is unrelated to Assad’s fall. The larger presence, he said, is there temporarily to help bolster the U.S. fight against ISIS in Syria.
“Those forces, what they’ve been doing is all focused on the ‘defeat ISIS’ mission,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder. “That core 900, approximately 900, those are going to be your longer-term deployers, right? Nine to 12 months, as I understand it, versus temporary forces, which are going to rotate in on a 30 to 90-day basis.”
Ryder said the situation’s sensitivity was why they did not share the number earlier.
Meanwhile, senior U.S. diplomats have traveled to Damascus to meet with rebel leaders. The visits come as U.S. officials hope to bring home U.S. citizens missing in the country, including journalist Austin Tice.
Tice, who would be 43 years old if found alive, went missing in 2012 during the Syrian civil war. Earlier this month, his family said they believe Tice is alive. President Joe Biden expressed hope that it was the case.
The U.S. is still grappling with how to handle the fall of Assad, something it had long hoped for. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group currently in charge, is labeled a terrorist organization under U.S. law.
The State Department has said it could remove that label if HTS shows it can be tolerant and inclusive of religious minorities.
US looks to prevent ISIS resurgence in Syria amid rebel conflict
The Assad regime ruled Syria with brutality for decades. Less than a week after Syrian rebels toppled the regime, the U.S. got to work to prevent ISIS from filling the void.
While rebels from the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) and the Free Syrian Army have begun to form a new government in the capital Damascus, dozens of other organizations are trying to win control in different parts of the country.
Efforts to keep ISIS at bay
In that chaos, the U.S. launched dozens of airstrikes on ISIS targets.
The groups competing for power in Syria have a complicated mix of allies. The U.S., for example, relies on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group made up mostly of fighters who are ethnically Kurdish.
Syria’s neighbor Turkey has its own domestic issues with Kurds looking for independence and considers the SDF a terrorist organization.
Both the U.S. and Turkey supported the fall of the Assad regime, but Turkey backed different groups looking to take over. Those groups have launched attacks on the SDF.
In the face of the attacks, a top SDF commander told CNN the group needed to move some of the ISIS detainees held in more than 20 prisons and camps across Syria. The commander said they’ve had to stop most of their anti-ISIS activities to fight the Turkish-backed rebels.
ISIS resurgence threats
ISIS came out of yearslong hiding in Syria. The SDF’s top commander said they’ve seen more ISIS activity in areas under SDF control.
U.S. officials are talking with Turkish counterparts to try to ensure the conflict doesn’t let ISIS rebuild in Syria.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Turkey for meetings with the country’s government about Syria’s uncertainty.
The U.S. has about 900 troops stationed in Syria to help anti-ISIS groups keep the terrorist organization from trying to establish another caliphate.
President-elect Donald Trump may change that. He said last week the U.S. “should have nothing to do with” the situation in Syria.
‘Risk and uncertainty’ as Syrian rebels oust Assad after decades in power
Syrian rebels oust dictator Bashar al-Assad, who has fled the country after nearly 25 years in power. And the suspected killer of a health care CEO in New York City is still at-large after eluding a massive manhunt for almost a week. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
‘Risk and uncertainty’ as Syrian rebels oust Assad after decades in power
It’s the dawn of a new era in Syria. After more than a decade of civil war in the country, President Bashar al-Assad was ousted after rebel groups overtook the capital in a coup on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Now Syria and its people are left with the question of what comes next as countries around the world, including the United States, react to the changing landscape.
Syrians could be seen celebrating in the streets as word spread that Assad had fled the country. State media reported the president and his family landed in Russia Sunday evening and Assad has been granted political asylum in Moscow.
The toppled leader, who had been in power since 2000 and whose family had ruled for five decades, was forced to vacate after rebel forces quickly captured city after city leading to them taking control of Damascus.
Since the civil war broke out in the wake of the pro-democracy Arab Spring demonstrations of 2011, Assad’s forces have been accused of brutal severe human rights violations, including using chemical weapons against their people. They’ve been held responsible for the deaths of more than 5,000 people and the displacement of millions of others.
The rebels who led to Assad’s ouster were headed by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Jolani called the coup “a victory for the whole Islamic nation.”
Jolani’s group used to be linked to Al Qaeda. Though it has cut those ties, the U.S. still designates it a terrorist group.
President Joe Biden spoke from the White House Sunday, calling the end of Assad’s regime a “fundamental act of justice.” Biden added the U.S. will support Syria’s neighbors Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq should any threat arise from this period of transition.
Biden referred to this as a time of “risk and uncertainty.”
“We will remain vigilante. Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses,” Biden said. “We’ve taken note of statements by the leaders of these rebel groups in recent days and they’re saying the right things now. But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions.”
Biden said Assad’s downfall came in part due to allies Iran, Russia and Hezbollah being weaker today than when Biden began his term.
President-elect Donald Trump issued a statement on his Truth Social platform Sunday, saying Iran and Russia are in weakened states right now and calling for the end of the war in Ukraine. However, in a post on Saturday, Dec. 7, Trump said the U.S. should not get involved with Syria, saying, “This is not our fight. Let it play out.”
Iran’s president said it is up to the Syrian people to decide the future of their country.
Amid the time of transition in Syria, the U.S. showed it will continue its efforts against ISIS in the region. U.S. Central Command said it launched a series of airstrikes Sunday targeting ISIS camps and leaders in central Syria, confirming 75 “targets” had been hit. U.S. officials said it will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria.
Trump promises to pardon Jan. 6 rioters on first day in office
In his first network TV interview since winning the election, President-elect Trump touched on some of his biggest campaign promises and his plans to start following through with them immediately when he takes office in January.
In an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker for Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said, “A lot of it will have to do with economics. A lot’s gonna do with energy. A lot’s having to do with the border. We’re gonna immediately strengthen up the border and do a real job.”
Trump also doubled down on his promise to pardon Americans jailed for their role in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, saying they had no other choice than to plead guilty. Department of Justice records show more than 1,500 people have been arrested or charged in connection with that attack and nearly 900 have pleaded guilty.
While Trump said he will not tell his nominees for FBI director and attorney general to go after his political rivals, he did share his opinion on what should happen to lawmakers who were on the House’s select committee to investigate January 6.
“Everybody on that committee, for what they did, honestly, they should go to jail,” he said.
After that interview, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY), who was on the committee, issued a statement saying, “Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”
Trump did reiterate multiple times during Sunday’s interview he has no plans to go after political rivals, but as we’ve reported here at Straight Arrow News, President Biden is considering preemptive pardons for Cheney and others who were part of the House Jan. 6 investigation, as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci and Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Police release new images of suspect in NYC deadly shooting
The manhunt for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson enters a new week.
Over the weekend, the NYPD released new images of the apparent suspect. Police identify the man in the pictures as “a person of interest” wanted for questioning for the fatal shooting outside a Hilton hotel Wednesday, Dec. 4.
One image shows the masked man in the back of a taxi. Another shows him walking on the sidewalk outside a vehicle. Police are hoping these images, along with others released last week, will help lead to the gunman.
Authorities reportedly traveled to Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 7, and have been searching a lake near Central Park. On Friday night, Dec. 6, reports said investigators found a backpack believed to belong to the shooter. Inside they found two items: a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Monopoly money.
Jay-Z accused of raping 13-year-old girl alongside Diddy
Music mogul Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs. In a civil suit filed Sunday, the anonymous accuser claimed the assault happened in 2000 at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.
The federal lawsuit was originally filed in October only listing Combs as a defendant, but it was refiled Sunday to include Carter.
Jay-Z, who is married to Beyonce, denied the accusation and said in a statement directed at the attorney who filed the suit, “These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!”
Combs’ lawyer also responded, calling the suit a “shameless” publicity stunt.
In September, federal prosecutors in New York criminally charged Combs with racketeering, sex trafficking and other offenses. He is in jail awaiting trial, which is scheduled to start May 5.
Kennedy Center honors Coppola, Grateful Dead, The Apollo
President Biden was among those in attendance — a tradition President Trump did not continue during his first term in office, saying he did not want to be a political distraction as some attendees had threatened to boycott his appearance. As Trump gets ready to start his second term in office, there are questions about whether federal funding for the arts might be on the chopping block.
Reports: Juan Soto, Mets agree on largest contract in pro sports history
Former New York Yankees star outfielder Juan Soto is staying in the Big Apple, but moving leagues in reportedly the largest deal in professional sports history.
But should Soto decide not to opt out, his pay will reportedly go up an extra $4 million a year for the remainder of the deal — meaning in the end, this could be an over $800 million deal.
The agreement also reportedly includes a $75 million signing bonus. Soto’s deal surpasses the record set just last year by Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract.
Note: The headline has been corrected to Assad. A previous version had the incorrect name.
FBI arrests Houston man for allegedly attempting to aid in ISIS terror attack
A 28-year-old Houston man has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS and plotting a terrorist attack. FBI officials say Anas Said was apprehended after admitting to planning violence and offering his apartment as a sanctuary for ISIS operatives.
Said’s arrest follows a monthslong investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Authorities say he researched ways to carry out an attack on local military recruiting centers, and expressed intentions to commit a “9/11-style” attack if he had the resources.
Getty Images
Investigators also revealed that Said attempted to produce pro-ISIS propaganda, including images, videos and flyers.
The FBI began investigating Said after discovering his social media activity in support of ISIS, which escalated following the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. Said reportedly expressed a desire to join the U.S. military to carry out an attack from within its ranks.
In addition to offering his home as a safe house for ISIS operatives, Said allegedly used encrypted messaging apps to coordinate his efforts to assist the terrorist group.
He is facing up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.
Said was arrested on Nov. 8 and is scheduled for a detention hearing later today. The FBI’s investigation was supported by the Houston and Sugar Land Police Departments and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Arizona teen charged with terrorism in connection with Pride parade plot
Authorities in Arizona said a teenager will be charged as an adult in connection with a planned terror attack on a Phoenix Pride parade. A grand jury indicted 17-year-old Marvin Jalo in October 2024 on felony terrorism charges for allegedly planning to bomb the parade in a show of support for ISIS.
Jalo will be tried as an adult and is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond. The indictment says Jalo was working with two co-conspirators; one who is “unnamed” and another only referred to as “Juvenile A.”
Court documents revealed Jalo was arrested at his home for an unrelated incident, according to Fox 10 News in Phoenix.
The documents also said Jalo’s mother told police she suspected her son was planning “in chat rooms, with the use of his cell phone, speaking with other subjects whom she described as terrorists, who had been conspiring to conduct a possible attack.”
The indictment showed Jalo confirmed to police he had been speaking with extremists who were actively recruiting him.
Soldier who plotted to help ISIS kill US troops gets 14-year sentence
A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to provide ISIS with tactical information to help plan attacks on U.S. soldiers. According to the U.S. Justice Department.Pfc. Cole Bridges, 24, of Stow, Ohio, enlisted in the Army in 2019 and was stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, with the Third Infantry Division.
Shortly after joining, Bridges began engaging with jihadist propaganda online and expressing support for ISIS on social media.
In October 2020, Bridges began communicating with an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS supporter. He shared U.S. Army training manuals and provided advice on ambushing U.S. soldiers, including tactics to increase the deadliness of attacks. Bridges also outlined how to fortify ISIS camps with explosives to kill U.S. troops as they entered buildings.
Bridges also discussed potential terrorist targets in New York City, including the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. He sent videos pledging support for ISIS and further encouraged attacks on U.S. troops.
He was arrested in January 2021 and pleaded guilty in June 2023 to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military personnel. Along with his 14-year prison sentence, Bridges was given 10 years of supervised release.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with multiple federal, state, and local agencies, led the investigation. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams called Bridges’ actions “a betrayal of the worst order” for attempting to harm the soldiers he was meant to protect.
Afghan refugee arrested in Election Day terror plot worked for CIA: Report
An Afghan refugee arrested in Oklahoma this week for allegedly plotting a terror attack on Election Day previously served as a security guard for the CIA in Afghanistan, according to a new report. Officials said 27-year-old Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi entered the U.S. in 2021, just days after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
As the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan, the Biden administration granted visas to more than 70,000 Afghans. According to the Department of Justice, Tawhedi entered the U.S. on a visa, which required a thorough screening process.
However, two U.S. officials told NBC News that this is inaccurate, stating that Tawhedi actually entered through a humanitarian parole program, which required far less screening than those arriving on a visa.
It remains unclear whether he had ties to ISIS prior to entering the U.S. or if he was radicalized in the three years since his arrival.
While sources tell NBC News that Tawhedi worked for the CIA in the Middle East, they noted he was not a CIA informant and had minimal interaction with American personnel.
In the weeks leading up to his arrest, Tawhedi was allegedly preparing for a planned attack, ordering AK-47s, liquidating his family’s assets and buying two one-way tickets for his wife and child to return to Afghanistan.
Officials said he planned to die a martyr alongside an accomplice identified as a juvenile by the DOJ.
Tawhedi has been charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Authorities have not yet revealed how he or his plans came to their attention.
MI5 spy chief warns of escalating threats from Russia, Iran and ISIS
During his annual speech, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum said Russia’s intelligence agency is on a mission to cause “mayhem” on the streets of the United Kingdom. McCallum said that the increase in activity came after the U.K. backed Ukraine in its war against Russia.
“The GRU in particular is on a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets,” McCallum said. “We’ve seen arson, sabotage and more dangerous actions conducted with increased recklessness and having precisely the opposite effect of what the Russian state intends in driving increased operational coordination with partners across Europe and beyond.”
McCallum also noted that more than a third of MI5’s top priority investigations in the past month were linked to organized overseas terrorist groups, with Russia and Iran emerging as primary actors in plots against the U.K.
He warned that ISIS and Iranian-backed militant groups could launch attacks on U.K. soil.
“Today’s Islamic State is not the force it was a decade ago,” McCallum said. “But, after a few years of being pinned well back, they’ve resumed efforts to export terrorism.”
Since January 2022, Iran has been implicated in 20 “potentially lethal” plots targeting the U.K. McCallum described the significant increase occurring “at an unprecedented pace and scale.”
More than 750 Russian diplomats from Europe — many identified as spies — have been removed. McCallum warned of continued aggression on British soil.
MI5 also reported that 13% of individuals under investigation for terrorism are now under the age of 18. The agency said it is seeing “far too many cases where very young people are being drawn into poisonous online extremism.”
Since March 2017, MI5 and police have disrupted 43 late-stage terrorist plots, some involving plans for mass casualties using firearms and explosives.
US troops to leave Iraq, end ISIS combat mission by end of 2026
The U.S. has announced a deal with the Iraqi government to wrap up the military mission in Iraq that’s working to defeat ISIS. U.S. officials revealed the two-phase transition plan on Friday, Sept. 27, which will close the Operation Inherent Resolve Task Force by the end of 2026.
The first phase will begin after the November election. That’s when American forces will start departing from Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq. They’ll move to Hareer base in northern Iraq. This phase is expected to run through September 2025, and some troops may stay at Hareer base for longer, requested by the Kurdistan regional government.
In the second phase, Iraq will allow the U.S. coalition to keep using its territory for missions across the border into Syria until at least September 2026.
The Biden administration has not said how many of the approximately 2,500 troops still serving in Iraq will stay there. However, the State Department said the military mission would ultimately transition into a bilateral security relationship.
This all comes at a contentious time for the Middle East with the escalating conflict between Israel and two Iranian-backed militant groups in Lebanon and Gaza.
On Friday, an Israeli strike killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented, “Lebanon, the region, the world are safer without him.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia’ Al Sudani, who has ties to Iran, did call for the U.S. to transition its counter-ISIS mission. He increased those calls after American forces fought against Iranian-backed militia groups during the war in Gaza.
The recent agreement marks the third time in the last two decades the U.S. has announced a formal transition of the military’s role in Iraq.
Troops scheduled to leave Iraq by 2026, US shifts to advisory role
The United States has reached a tentative agreement with Iraq to withdraw hundreds of American-led troops by September 2025, with all remaining forces expected to depart by the end of 2026. This decision follows extensive negotiations, reflecting a significant shift in U.S. military strategy in the region.
Currently, about 2,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq, with another 900 deployed in neighboring Syria. Under the agreement, which still awaits formal confirmation from both Washington and Baghdad, multiple sources informed Reuters that troops will be fully withdrawn from the Al-Asad airbase and significantly reduced in Baghdad. However, a contingent will remain in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdistan region to support operations against ISIS in Syria until late 2026.
This strategic shift is part of broader U.S. efforts to transition from direct military engagement to supporting Iraq through advisory roles and bilateral security partnerships, aiming to bolster Iraq’s sovereignty and stability while managing ongoing threats from ISIS remnants.
Despite the planned withdrawal, the U.S. presence in Iraq has been a contentious issue, drawing criticism and sometimes hostile actions from Iran-backed militias. The U.S. maintains that any attacks on its forces or interests in the region could significantly escalate tensions.
American forces initially withdrew from Iraq in 2011 but returned in 2014 to lead a coalition to combat ISIS. The extensive military involvement of the U.S. in Iraq began with the 2003 invasion that resulted in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
The completion of the withdrawal plan is pending official approvals, with an announcement anticipated in the coming weeks.
