On Monday, the Pentagon issued a new statement attempting to clarify the long-standing discrepancy about the number of troops in Syria. The vague reference to additional troops in Iraq leaves open the possibility of a significantly larger presence than was previously acknowledged, just as in Syria. Defense officials insist the Pentagon has not misled the public about the core number of troops in Syria, which they have said since 2020 is around 900. Concealing the true number of US troops in Syria dates to Donald Trump’s first administration. Trump in 2019 had agreed to keep roughly 200 to 400 US troops in Syria, but the actual number was “a lot more,” Jeffrey said.

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Persons: Patrick Ryder, ” Ryder, we’ve, ”, Ryder, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Donald Trump’s, Jim Jeffrey, ” Jeffrey Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Defense, Iraqi, Army, Trump, Congressional Research Service Locations: Syria, Maj, Israel, “, Iraq, Washington, Baghdad