British Government Considered Ground Invasion of Syria, Deployment of Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines - Reports

Britain and France discussed deploying ground troops to hold territory in Syria’s northern regions from December 2018 - according to a report from the British paper The Telegraph citing an unnamed defence official. This came after an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that American forces would be withdrawn from the country, and was a potential means to ensure that the territory remained under Western control. While France already maintains a sizeable military presence in Syria, the deployment of British forces would have represented a new level of escalation of the country’s involvement. The contingent was to be comprised of elite forces from the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines, supported by special forces from the Special Air Service.

Britain reportedly currently deploys special forces in Syria and has taken part in airstrikes on the country's territory including attacks on its armed forces. With none of the airstrikes or troop deployments approved by the Syrian government or the United Nations Security Council, they remain in direct violation of international law and constitute an effective invasion of Syrian territory - which has been repeatedly protested by Damascus. British Prime Minister at the time Theresa May reportedly decided against the idea due to expected opposition from parliament and a lack of certainty as to whether the United States would provide the air and logistical support needed for the operation - although the legality of the move appeared not to have affected the decision making process. Britain lacks a sufficiently large military presence in the Middle East meaning that a deployment of ground forces would require cover from the sizeable American air and naval forces permanently deployed to the region to deter potential attacks.