Neither the White House nor the Pentagon appears to know how the official number of US troops in Syria more than doubled.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused On Friday, he explained how the reported 1,100-troop discrepancy in U.S. troops in Syria could be possible, and instead singled out the Pentagon. Similarly, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said at a press conference Thursday that he could not discuss whether the Oval Office knows the true number of troops in the country.
“That’s their mandate,” Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday. “That’s something we’ve always been consistent about.” (Related: US military smokes out another notorious terrorist group leader)
Defense Department spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Rider speaks during a press conference at the Pentagon on October 1, 2024, in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Ryder said he had “recently learned” that the number had been 2,000 since “before the fall of the Assad regime.” The original 900 figure counted long-term personnel stationed in the country, with an additional 1,100It’s a temporary rotating force,” Ryder told reporters Thursday.
It remains unclear whether President Joe Biden knew the true number of troops, and the White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment on the discrepancy.
The United States operates military bases in Syria to counter ISIS, most often supporting the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). ISIS’ presence in the Middle East has shrunk significantly during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term.
The SDF is fighting the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). If the SNA continues its incursions into SDF territory, it could jeopardize the detention of the 9,000 ISIS fighters in SDF custody, thereby allowing them to rebuild in the region.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown on December 8 by rebel forces led by the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). U.S. forces are currently deployed to counter ISIS and support the Self-Defense Forces.
President-elect Donald Trump may reduce involvement in Syria, the paper said. post On Truth Social on Dec. 7, he said he hopes the U.S. stays out of Syria and there’s not much to be gained.
The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to DCNF’s request for comment.
All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or our partnership, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
