adminAmerican courage met brutal cowardice on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria, when two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were gunned down during what the Pentagon calls a “key leader engagement,” and three others were wounded in the ambush. U.S. Central Command described the assailant as a lone ISIS gunman, and partner forces on the ground killed the attacker after the attack.
Defense officials were blunt — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called the assailant “a savage” and vowed that anyone who targets Americans will be hunted and killed, language that should reassure patriots that weakness will not be rewarded. That bluntness is a reminder of why a strong posture matters: our troops are on the ground doing the hard work of keeping terror from resurging, and they deserve the full-throated backing of a nation that means what it says.
This was not a random street crime; CENTCOM and Pentagon spokesmen say the ambush occurred while U.S. forces were conducting counter-ISIS operations and engaging local leaders to deny sanctuaries to jihadis. The presence of a “lone gunman” in an area the U.S. is supposed to be stabilizing exposes the blunt truth: ISIS still operates in sleeper cells and pockets, ready to strike when we let our guard down.
Reports indicate partner and Syrian security elements were operating in the vicinity when the attack took place, and it was partner forces who engaged and killed the attacker — proof that capable allies on the ground matter, but also proof we cannot rely on distant diplomacy or wishful thinking for our safety. American lives are being risked to hold the line against a terror threat that never really went away, and sloppy strategy or political theater from Washington will cost more blood.
Patriots should be furious that, after years of sacrifice, we still see our troops exposed because of muddled policies and cheap moralizing about “withdrawal” or “redeployment” without a plan to finish the job. If Democrats and weak-kneed moderates think terrorism can be negotiated away or contained by hearings and handwringing, they are mistaken — hard power, relentless intelligence, and ruthless pursuit of the enemy work.
We must honor the fallen by demanding accountability and clarity from our leaders: what are the rules governing these missions, who bears responsibility for intelligence gaps, and what resources do our troops need to complete their mission and come home? The families of the brave deserve answers today, not spin tomorrow, and the nation owes these soldiers unwavering support and a promise their deaths will not be in vain.
This attack is a wake-up call for every American who values security and sovereignty — elect leaders who will confront radical Islamism with determination, secure our borders so foreign threats can’t slip through a broken system, and fund our military properly so when danger appears it meets American strength. We can mourn and rage, but we must also act: stand with the troops, demand policy that wins, and never forget that peace bought on the cheap leaves us all paying the price in blood.
