Former US secretary of defense Chuck Hagel says the limited number of American troops in northeastern Syria can do nothing to drive Iranian forces out of the Arab country.
“The US doesn’t even control half of Syria. You’ve got 2,000 [US] troops up in the northeast corner. I mean, come on, you’re not going to drive Iranians out of Syria with 2,000 American troops,” Hagel said, rejecting US National Security Advisor John Bolton’s call for the removal of Iranian forces from Syria.
“It’s complete folly to think you’re going to threaten the Syrians or the Russians or the Iranians into anything,” Hagel said in an interview with Defense One.
He said the Iranians live in this region as opposed to the Americans that had involved themselves in the Syrian war from afar.
“Unless you’re going to somehow eliminate the geopolitical realities of that—well, good luck Mr. Bolton. There is no other way around this, you’re…