Pentagon Announces U.S. Troop Numbers in Syria Have Doubled

The Pentagon revealed that the number of American troops present in Syria to combat ISIS has increased to nearly 2,000, up from the previously reported figure of around 900. On Thursday, December 20, Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder stated that he had just learned of the current troop numbers and wanted to share this information with reporters, having previously referenced the 900 figure multiple times. He did not specify when exactly this increase occurred but mentioned it has been the case for 'at least months' and that the trend has been ongoing for some time. Ryder emphasized that the increase in troops is not related to the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government. He also noted that the troop increase is temporary and aimed at bolstering operations against ISIS in Syria, with the additional forces considered temporary reinforcements for the mission against ISIS. According to Reuters, the Biden administration has indicated that the presence of U.S. troops in Syria continues, while hinting at a potential end to their mission as ordered by Donald Trump, who attempted to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria during his presidency but retained some troops due to resistance from officials. Additionally, as reported by the Associated Press, there have long been challenges between the U.S. and its neighboring countries, Turkey and Iraq, regarding the permanent presence of U.S. forces in Syria, with calls for maintaining troop numbers at a specific level. During the press conference, Ryder faced multiple questions from reporters regarding the lack of communication about the change in U.S. troop numbers in Syria. However, he insisted that there was no directive to keep this information hidden and that he had only recently become aware of the increase.