Tuesday was a busy day for US forces in the Red Sea. According to a statement From US Central Command (CENTCOM), in less than 24 hours they “destroyed five Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles and two missile systems in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
Centcom vice president Kamala Harris posted the statement shortly after A debate is announced on stage in Philadelphia that “to date, there is not a single member of the United States military serving on active duty in a combat zone in any of the world’s war zones for the first time this century.” The comment was echoed by President Joe Biden claim When he withdrew from the race this summer he was “the first president in this century to report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world.”
Harris has been Dinged by fact-checkers And Criticized by Republicans For his contentious statement. After all, there is an ongoing US mission to counter Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. recently described “The most sustained combat the U.S. Navy has seen since World War II,” by a former Navy commander.
When the U.S His combat mission is officially over In Iraq in 2021, about 2,400 troops remain in the country to “advise, assist and enable” Iraqi forces to fight the remnants of ISIS, an operation that began in 2014. Although not officially a “combat mission,” these troops still take part in operations targeting ISIS, including one just two weeks ago. Seven Americans were wounded. Meanwhile, about 800 US troops are still in Syria, mainly supporting local allied armed groups fighting ISIS.
It’s not a safe job: Since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the outbreak of war in Gaza, U.S. troops in the region have been the target of dozens of attacks by Iran-backed militias, including one in January. Killed three US soldiers At a base in Jordan. The US has also targeted suspected terrorists Yemen And Somalia.
But none of this is “war” according to the US government. Speaking on background, a Defense Department official told Vox, “One aspect of military service is working in a place where hostile activity is likely to occur. Those positions are: Designated by executive order and/or the Secretary of Defense. However, it is important to note that just because a service member is in one of these positions does not mean that they are engaged in combat. The United States is not currently at war and has no combat troops in an active war zone anywhere in the world.”
Harris seems to have chosen his wording carefully — “active duty on a battlefield in any war zone” — though it may not be a particularly meaningful distinction for soldiers facing an incoming drone attack. One could get further into the weeds and point out that the United States has not formally declared war since World War II, and that US troops in Iraq and Syria are still operating under legal authorization. Passed in the wake of 9/11.
Beyond the legal hair-splitting, Harris made the comments in the context of a defense of US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fact that the US military posture has shrunk significantly under Biden, the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations.
(Trump made a false claim Past that his presidency was the first in 72 years that had “no war”, although he oversaw four years of war in Afghanistan as well as major military buildups in Iraq, Syria and Somalia. At least 65 U.S. troops have died in hostile actions under Trump’s presidency.)
After the eternal war
If the so-called eternal wars are not completely over, they are certainly being fought at a much, much lower level.
Since the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the number of US troops involved in counterterrorism missions can be measured in the hundreds rather than the thousands or tens of thousands. The number of soldiers killed every year is in single digits. The number of drone strikes and special forces operations conducted by US forces around the world has also decreased dramatically. US political and military leaders have turned their attention, to a significant degree, to “great power competition” with countries like Russia and China.
For most Americans, this shift from the post-9/11 era is welcome. But some critics warn that there is a risk of complacency in accepting that a certain level of warfare – call it war or not – will continue indefinitely.
“The light footprint and small number of casualties made it easy for the administration to play down the significance of the conflict and keep it out of the public eye,” Brian FinucaneA former State Department legal adviser now with the International Crisis Group, told Vox. “It allows them to actually explain why U.S. forces are in harm’s way, or why they’re bombing the Houthis, or what the plan is to end it.”
Biden and Harris can fairly claim the end of an era of war that began with the 9/11 attacks and the invasion of Afghanistan, and the beginning of a new era in which US forces are deployed in the Middle East. A much lower but still significant level of fighting with terrorist groups and state-backed militias, more or less indefinitely and with little public debate.
Admittedly, though, this is not as foolproof a line of argument.