Democratic presidential nominee, US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a presidential debate hosted by ABC with Republican presidential nominee, former US President Donald Trump, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US. (Image: Reuters)
Harris’ assertion about US military presence overseas sparked a controversy as recent operations in Iraq and Jordan contradict her claim.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ inaccurate comment on US soldiers deployed in overseas conflict zones has triggered a firestorm. Harris during the presidential debate with former president Donald Trump on Tuesday said that there are no American soldiers deployed in overseas conflict zones.
“And as of today, there is not one member of the United States military who is on active duty in a combat zone, in any war zone around the world, for the first time this century,” Harris said.
A report by USA Today said that it was ‘not quite true’. It said that the US has nearly 1,000 troops stationed in Syria and about 2,500 in Iraq, according to the US Department of Defense.
In Syria, US forces remain deployed to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group. In Iraq, they counter Iran’s influence and disrupt supply lines to militias. While major civil war hostilities in both countries have decreased, these two nations remain affected by ongoing low-level conflict.
One instance of the dangers faced by US troops overseas occurred on the last day of August. During a US military-led raid in western Iraq, at least 15 Islamic State operatives were killed. The operatives fought back fiercely with various weapons, including grenades and explosive suicide belts. The operation resulted in injuries to seven US soldiers.
Earlier in January, a base in Jordan, located near the Syrian border, was attacked by an Iranian-made drone. The assault led to the deaths of three US soldiers and injured 40 others.
The comments angered deployed personnel. A video shared by Trump supporter Lori Mills showed deployed personnel reacting to Kamala Harris’ comment. A US army soldier is heard saying: “Then where the f**k are we right now?”
Fellow soldiers who were watching the debate with him are seen laughing at what Harris said.
Brad Illerbrunner, whose son Garrett was critically injured in Iraq, told the New York Post: “She doesn’t even recognize that our own troops are getting hurt. We’re still in war zones”.
Read More: ‘Then, Where Are We’: Soldiers Question Kamala Harris After She Claims No US Troops Deployed
