Tragic Attack in Syria Exposes Flaws in U.S. Military Strategy and Endangers American Troops

Two brave Iowa National Guard soldiers, Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, paid the ultimate price this weekend when an Islamic State-affiliated gunman attacked a U.S.-Syrian security meeting near Palmyra, Syria. This tragedy starkly reveals the risks Washington imposes on our troops through ambiguous policies and flawed alliances in a volatile region. The assailant—who had infiltrated Syrian internal security forces and was suspected of IS ties—brazenly opened fire during what should have been a cooperative meeting between American and Syrian officials. Alongside the two fallen Guardsmen, a U.S. interpreter also lost their life, while other soldiers sustained...