The Pentagon announced Friday that it will consolidate all U.S. forces in Syria under the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, reducing troop levels in the coming months to fewer than 1,000 personnel. "Recognizing the success the United States has had against ISIS, including its 2019 territorial defeat under President Trump, today the Secretary of Defense directed the consolidation of U.S. forces in Syria under Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve to select locations in Syria," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. The move reflects the "significant" progress made in degrading the operational capabilities of the Daesh/ISIS terror group both regionally and globally, he added. "This deliberate and conditions-based process will bring the U.S. footprint in Syria down to less than 1,000 U.S. forces in the coming months," Parnell noted. He highlighted that over the past decade, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS has made "major gains," with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) launching dozens of airstrikes in the past year to continue weakening the group's remnants. CENTCOM will "remain poised to continue strikes against the remnants of ISIS in Syria," he said, adding that the U.S. will maintain close coordination with coalition partners to sustain pressure on the group. Parnell emphasized that the U.S. retains a "significant amount of capability in the region" and has the ability to dynamically adjust its military posture in response to evolving security conditions. U.S. President Donald Trump, commenting in January, said the U.S. "will make a determination" on its presence in Syria following reports of a possible withdrawal. "I don't know who said that, but we'll make a determination on that," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We're not involved in Syria. Syria is in its own mess. They've got enough messes over there. They don't need us involved." — Agencies
