We have 2,000 on the ground now in Syria. We have been bombing Syria since September 22, 2014 on almost a daily basis. We deployed ground forces since November 2015. In March 2017, the Trump Administration deployed an additional 400 U.S. Marines in Syria to expand the fight against ISIS in the Raqqa offensive where they could provide artillery support for U.S.-backed local forces that were preparing an assault on Raqqa to liberate the city from IS militants.
We can fight ISIS without making a major investment in ground troops. The danger is that with Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies cleaning out the last remnants of the rebel forces, there is the increasing possibility that our troops on the ground will become targets. The Russians lost over 200 "mercenary" troops advancing on US positions.
Trump's instincts are to remove our ground troops from Syria. The neocons and allies like France are pressuring us to stay. Macron will be lobbying Trump to keep our forces in Syria and to remain in the Iran deal. Easy for him to say since France has very little skin in the game while we continue to contribute our blood and treasure into the Middle East meat grinder.
We are the world's largest debtor nation. We can't afford to act as the world's policeman. Great empires throughout history have declined due to overextending their resources in foreign entanglements. Regardless of what Corker supports or not, we need to examine our involvement in the Syrian civil war using the criterion of our national strategic interests. Regime change is not a good reason. Do Assad or the Russians and Iran want to provide a sanctuary for ISIS?
The Saudis want us to take out Assad because of his Iranian support. Israel is concerned about the Iranian presence on their border as is Jordan. In terms of the danger posed by Syria to the region, Iran is a bigger danger than ISIS.
And Iran wants Assad in charge of Syria.