The deeper terrorist threat might lie not just with Islamic State fighters but with infiltrated allies operating inside Syrian-controlled territory, according to Newsmax foreign policy analyst Walid Phares.
Public frustration over the U.S. presence in Syria is growing as details emerge about an attack that left three Americans dead and several others wounded, Phares said on "Saturday Agenda."
That is "100% question that the public is asking, especially after attacks like these. The public needs to know what are we doing there? But more important is who our ally is, who has been infiltrated, and what we expect for the future," he said.
"I was able over the past three hours to get to more details that I haven't seen in the media yet. The actual attacker and the attack was not a motorcade that was coming, and then somebody attacked it.
"It was a meeting. It was a security meeting with a number of our U.S. military and the official government, and one bodyguard to the commander of the place. He opened fire on the delegation, on the American delegation," he added.
"And the problem is that his commander was in al-Nusra and was appointed by this government as the area's in charge. Palmyra is not ISIS. Palmyra is under the control of the government and even his boss; we have his name, Sateahm Kasim, and the perpetrator is Mahmoud Al Hussein.
"So when you dive into the details, the question becomes not just the presence of ISIS open onto the east, but the presence of ISIS inside the Syrian forces. That is the major problem at this point in time," he said.
Phares' remarks followed statements from President Donald Trump vowing retaliation. Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House after news broke of the killings.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well."
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