Pentagon Confirms Significant Increase in US Troops in Syria
Washington maintains that the deployment of reinforcements was merely coincidental and occurred prior to the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Washington claims the timing of reinforcements sent to Syria was coincidental, coinciding with the collapse of President Bashar Assad’s government.
The US has disclosed that its military presence in Syria has more than doubled, as a Pentagon spokesperson revealed that there are approximately 2,000 American forces stationed in the country, rather than the previously reported figure of 900 troops.
For years, the Pentagon consistently stated that “about 900” US troops were in Syria, and this number continued to be cited despite the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad on December 8.
During a press conference on Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder shared that “we recently learned that those numbers [are] higher.”
“Given the difference in what we’ve been briefing and what the actual number is, I just felt that it was important to get you that information,” Ryder explained, mentioning that diplomatic and operational security considerations contributed to the delay in sharing this information.
Ryder clarified that the additional troops had been in Syria “at a minimum, months” on a rotational basis, a practice that has been “going on for a while.”
He emphasized that the increase in troops was not a response to recent developments, asserting that the timing was purely coincidental.
“As I understand it and as it was explained to me, these additional forces are considered temporary rotational forces that deploy to meet shifting mission requirements, whereas the core 900 deployers are on longer-term deployments,” Ryder noted.
The US military has maintained an active role in Syria since 2014, primarily targeting Islamic State terrorists and conducting numerous airstrikes against select militant factions, as well as occasionally against Syrian government forces.
During President Barack Obama’s administration, Washington provided hundreds of millions of dollars in arms to various jihadist rebel groups attempting to topple Assad, although this initiative lost momentum following the military support from Russia and Iran requested by Damascus.
In 2019, President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of all US troops, but after resistance from Pentagon officials, he reversed his decision later that year, stating: “We’re keeping the oil… We left troops behind only for the oil.”
Since that time, the US has retained around 900 troops spread across multiple bases. Syrian officials have repeatedly accused the Pentagon of “stealing” the nation's oil reserves from northeastern provinces where American forces work alongside Kurdish militia groups.
Earlier this month, opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadists executed a surprise offensive throughout Syria, taking Damascus and compelling Assad to resign and seek asylum in Russia.
On Friday, Washington dispatched a delegation to Damascus for the first time since 2012 and announced the termination of a $10 million bounty for the leader of HTS.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
The US has disclosed that its military presence in Syria has more than doubled, as a Pentagon spokesperson revealed that there are approximately 2,000 American forces stationed in the country, rather than the previously reported figure of 900 troops.
For years, the Pentagon consistently stated that “about 900” US troops were in Syria, and this number continued to be cited despite the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad on December 8.
During a press conference on Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder shared that “we recently learned that those numbers [are] higher.”
“Given the difference in what we’ve been briefing and what the actual number is, I just felt that it was important to get you that information,” Ryder explained, mentioning that diplomatic and operational security considerations contributed to the delay in sharing this information.
Ryder clarified that the additional troops had been in Syria “at a minimum, months” on a rotational basis, a practice that has been “going on for a while.”
He emphasized that the increase in troops was not a response to recent developments, asserting that the timing was purely coincidental.
“As I understand it and as it was explained to me, these additional forces are considered temporary rotational forces that deploy to meet shifting mission requirements, whereas the core 900 deployers are on longer-term deployments,” Ryder noted.
The US military has maintained an active role in Syria since 2014, primarily targeting Islamic State terrorists and conducting numerous airstrikes against select militant factions, as well as occasionally against Syrian government forces.
During President Barack Obama’s administration, Washington provided hundreds of millions of dollars in arms to various jihadist rebel groups attempting to topple Assad, although this initiative lost momentum following the military support from Russia and Iran requested by Damascus.
In 2019, President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of all US troops, but after resistance from Pentagon officials, he reversed his decision later that year, stating: “We’re keeping the oil… We left troops behind only for the oil.”
Since that time, the US has retained around 900 troops spread across multiple bases. Syrian officials have repeatedly accused the Pentagon of “stealing” the nation's oil reserves from northeastern provinces where American forces work alongside Kurdish militia groups.
Earlier this month, opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadists executed a surprise offensive throughout Syria, taking Damascus and compelling Assad to resign and seek asylum in Russia.
On Friday, Washington dispatched a delegation to Damascus for the first time since 2012 and announced the termination of a $10 million bounty for the leader of HTS.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
