US Department of Defense spokesman Pat Ryder said he had just received updated statistics on December 19. For many years, the US has had 900 soldiers stationed in Syria, to coordinate with local forces to prevent the rise of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS).
Mr. Ryder did not specify a specific time since the number of US soldiers in Syria increased to 2,000, but said “it may have been several months and before the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.” Reuters reported.
Former Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley (left) talks with US soldiers in Syria in 2023
“The additional number of soldiers is considered a temporary force present to support the mission against IS fighters,” Mr. Pat Ryder said.
US President Joe Biden’s administration said US forces will continue to stay in Syria, but this may change when President-elect Donald Trump takes power. During his first term, Mr. Trump wanted to completely withdraw troops from Syria but faced opposition, so he still left hundreds of soldiers stationed.
Also related to the situation in Syria, Reuters reported on December 19 that Russian President Vladimir Putin at the annual press conference held on the same day made his first statements about Syria since Mr. al-Assad was overthrown.
Mr. Putin said he had not met Mr. al-Assad since the former Syrian President flew to Moscow but would plan to meet. The Russian President also denied the notion that the collapse of the al-Assad government, an ally of Moscow, means Russia’s failure after 9 years of involvement in Syria. The Russian leader affirmed that military intervention in Syria since 2015 has helped prevent Syria from becoming a terrorist gathering place.
Mr. Putin also accused Israel of recent military operations when it advanced into the Israel-Syria buffer zone in the Golan Heights, saying that Tel Aviv is the “main beneficiary” of the current situation.
