Pentagon Acknowledges That There Are More Soldiers In Afghanistan Than Previously Reported

Reuters: U.S. acknowledges more troops in Afghanistan than previously stated

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 11,000 U.S. troops are serving in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, thousands more than it has previously stated.

The announcement by Pentagon officials at a news conference did not represent an increase in troops in Afghanistan and came after U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis expressed frustration with the method of counting U.S. troops in conflict zones.

The Pentagon said previously that there were roughly 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, under a cap set during President Barack Obama’s administration.

While the Pentagon said the move was a step in increasing transparency, it did not provide counts of U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.

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WNU Editor: Former U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and President Obama either knew what these numbers were .... or did not care and trusted what the Pentagon were saying. Either way .... this does not reflect well on their management of the Afghan war. And now that the truth is out (at least on Afghanistan), I can only hope that the Trump administration will continue to be honest and transparent about the Afghan war, and to also be open and transparent on what is happening in Iraq and Syria.

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