US doubled troop size in Syria before al-Assad's ouster, Pentagon says
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Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary, divulged Thursday that 2,000 US forces were in Syria.
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In this October 25, 2019, photo released by the US Army Reserve, US airmen check military equipment to be loaded onto a cargo plane in northern Syria at the Kobani Landing Zone. (US Army Reserve via AP)
The US increased its force presence in Syria before Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime fell, the Pentagon announced on Thursday.
The first American soldiers invaded Syria in late 2015 under the guise of combating ISIS, with the US earlier claiming that there were only 900 troops in the country.
In recent weeks, the Pentagon has been regularly questioned about the United States' position in Syria, but it has never reported a significant increase in personnel, emphasizing that the number of troops had not changed until Thursday, amid growing concerns about the fate of the US occupation troops in the nation.
Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary, admitted on Thursday that 2,000 US forces were in Syria. Ryder stated that the extra troops had been in Syria "at a minimum months—it's been going on for a while," claiming that the increase in numbers was temporary.
According to Ryder, the extra troops, primarily from the US Army's conventional and special operations teams, are in Syria to allegedly supplement US efforts against ISIS.
It is noteworthy that The Telegraph reported how the US backed and prepared an armed group to join the offensive that ousted President Bashar al-Assad and forced a regime change in Syria, The Telegraph reported.
Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA) fighters, trained by Britain and the US, were told "this is your moment" during a briefing by US Special Forces stationed in the country before al-Assad was overthrown on December 8.
The RCA is an armed group established by defected Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops and is headquartered in the al-Tanf area, near the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border area, in southern Syria.
US forces are also stationed in the al-Tanf area, where they claim to be fighting ISIS and terrorism in the region. The group has now filled a major void vacated by the former regime forces, taking over one-fifth of the country's territory and pockets north of the capital.
US delegation to arrive in Damascus for talks with HTS leader
The US State Department announced early Friday that three senior American diplomats have arrived in Damascus, Syria's capital, to meet with leaders of the new regime forces now in control of the country and to search for information on Austin Tice, a missing journalist, and other US citizens.
The State Department said the diplomats "will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them."
The officials include Barbara Leaf, the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Roger D. Carstens, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and Daniel Rubinstein, the newly appointed Special Advisor on Syria.
According to the State Department, the diplomats plan to engage with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham to discuss the "transition principles" that American, Arab, and Turkish officials agreed upon during a meeting last weekend in Aqaba, Jordan.
Read more: Israeli army preparing for a long stay in Syria: Israeli media
