US says it doubled number of its troops in Syria before Assad’s fall
Washington has for years said it has some 900 military personnel in Syria as part of international efforts against Isis
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The United States has more than doubled the number of its forces in Syria to fight Islamic State – a dramatic increase that the Pentagon revealed Thursday, acknowledging that the added troops have been there for months or even more than a year.
The US had said for years that there were about 900 troops in Syria, but Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, acknowledged there were roughly 2,000 there now.
The Pentagon was asked repeatedly about the US presence in Syria in the wake of the chaotic overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8. It did not disclose the increase and instead kept repeating the 900 figure.
Speaking at a Pentagon press conference, Ryder said the additional forces had been in Syria “at a minimum months – it’s been going on for awhile”. He said he only just learned the new number and that the increase was not related to the ouster of Assad or any hike in attacks either by or against Isis.
Pentagon officials said they were working to nail down the timing of the increase and what exactly the additional forces were doing.
