Troop Creep: Pentagon Reveals It Actually Has 2,000 Troops in Syria, Not 900 | 20 Dec 2024 | The Pentagon on Thursday admitted there are actually 2,000 American troops in Syria, not the 900 it previously said were in the country. The admission comes as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in a month, and days after members of his transition team arrived at the Pentagon to begin the transition between the outgoing and incoming administrations. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder characterized the higher troop count as a "surprise" -- without clarifying if Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin or Joe Biden knew there were 2,000, not 900 U.S. troops in Syria.