Damascus [Syria], April 19: The Pentagon announced on April 18 that the U.S. military would halve its presence in Syria.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the consolidation of U.S. forces in Syria. This process will reduce the US military presence in Syria to less than 1,000 in the coming months, AFP reported.
The U.S. has been stationed in Syria for years to coordinate with international forces against the Islamic State , with about 2,000 U.S. troops stationed at bases in Syria, mostly concentrated in the northeast.
Parnell said the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM ) will continue to be ready to strike the remaining ISIS members in Syria, while coordinating with partners to maintain pressure on ISIS, as well as deter other terrorist threats.
On April 18, Reuters reported that two US lawmakers were in Damascus to meet with Syrian officials, marking the first time a US lawmaker has visited Syria since the government of former President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been skeptical of the presence of U.S. troops in Syria since the beginning of his term and has ordered the withdrawal of troops, but in the end he still has hundreds of troops in the Middle Eastern country. For years, the U.S. has said it has about 900 military personnel in Syria. However, in December last year, the Pentagon revealed that there are up to 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria in 2024.
In addition to Syria, the United States has also begun the process of reducing its military presence in Iraq and is expected to end military operations in Iraq this year.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
