How Many U.S. Soldiers Are There In Syria?

Wow. Question on how many US troops are in Syria. MG initially says 4,000 (!) then apologizes, changes to 500 after a follow-up. pic.twitter.com/ru92GkU3PW

— Jake Godin (@JakeGodin) October 31, 2017

Washington Post: A top U.S. general just said 4,000 American troops are in Syria. The Pentagon says there are only 500.

A senior U.S. military commander said Tuesday that 4,000 American troops are on the ground in Syria, a figure far greater than the 503 personnel the Trump administration says are deployed there.

Army Maj. Gen. James B. Jarrard, who heads the U.S.-led special operations task force targeting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, offered the surprising figure while briefing Pentagon-based reporters via satellite from Baghdad.

When asked to confirm the 4,000 figure, Jarrard appeared to be caught off guard. Eric Pahon, a Pentagon spokesman facilitating the briefing then interjected, insisting the number is just 503.

“The general misspoke,” Pahon told The Washington Post after the briefing. “I don’t know what 4,000 refers to. That’s nowhere near an accurate number.”

Read more ....

Update: General's momentary slip underscores confusion over troop totals in Syria (Washington Examiner)

WNU Editor: This blog has been following the conflict in Syria since day one .... and I have no clue on how many U.S. soldiers there are in Syria. If I was to hazard a guess before this Washington Post story .... I would have said about 2,000, of which most would consist of support staff at the few airfields that the U.S. military operates with the Kurds.