Pentagon says around 1,500 US troops still in Syria
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Around 1,500 US troops remain in Syria as the Trump administration maintains an optimistic outlook, despite ongoing instability.
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A service member boards a cargo plane to leave Syria at the Kobani Landing Zone (KLZ), Syria, Oct. 24. 2019. (AP)
The United States is maintaining a significant military presence in Syria, with the Trump administration expressing optimism about the country's future despite continued instability.
Around 1,500 US military personnel are still stationed in Syria as the Trump administration maintains an optimistic outlook on the country's future despite ongoing regional instability and unresolved strategic challenges, according to Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell who made the remarks on Wednesday.
"Right now, we've still got about 1,500 troops in Syria, but we're not going to comment for further on force posture there, but we're optimistic about the future in Syria, as the president [Donald Trump] has already said before," the Pentagon chief explained.
US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack, in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV on June 2, said Washington plans to downsize its military footprint in Syria by consolidating operations at a single base in al-Hasakah province as part of a wider policy shift that includes closing seven other sites across the country.
This comes as the US moves on with its troop withdrawal in Syria, a move that has sparked concerns among local and regional players.
US troop withdrawal worrying SDF, 'Israel'
US forces have withdrawn from two more military bases in northeastern Syria, a development the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) claim is fueling a renewed rise in ISIS activity, with a Reuters report on 18 June confirming the pullout from the al-Wazir and Tel Baydar bases located in al-Hasakah province.
Speaking to Reuters from the US base in al-Shadadi, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said the current American presence on the ground is too limited to effectively counter the escalating threat posed by ISIS.
"The threat of Islamic State has significantly increased recently," Abdi warned, adding that "this is the US military’s plan. We’ve known about it for a long time ... and we’re working with them to make sure there are no gaps and we can maintain pressure on Islamic State."
According to an April report by Yedioth Ahronoth, US security officials have informed their Israeli counterparts that Washington plans to start a phased withdrawal of American forces from Syria within the next two months as discussions continue and regional coordination efforts remain underway
The report indicated that the Israeli government has made attempts to convince Washington to reconsider the planned withdrawal but was told that these efforts have not succeeded, while the Israeli security establishment continues to apply pressure on the US in an effort to potentially reverse the decision.
