Pentagon Acknowledges There Are More than 2,500 US Troops in Iraq

A US soldier is seen at a military base near Mosul, Iraq. (Reuters file)
A US soldier is seen at a military base near Mosul, Iraq. (Reuters file)
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Pentagon Acknowledges There Are More than 2,500 US Troops in Iraq

A US soldier is seen at a military base near Mosul, Iraq. (Reuters file)
A US soldier is seen at a military base near Mosul, Iraq. (Reuters file)

The Pentagon acknowledged Monday that there are more than 2,500 US troops in Iraq, the total routinely touted publicly. It also said the number of forces in Syria has grown over the past “several years” due to increasing threats, but was not openly disclosed.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that there are “at least 2,500” US military personnel in Iraq “plus some additional, temporary enablers” that are on rotational deployments.

He said that due to diplomatic considerations, the department will not provide more specifics.

The US concluded sensitive negotiations with the government of Iraq in September that called for troops to begin leaving after the November election.

The presence of US troops there has long been a political liability for Iraqi leaders who are under increased pressure and influence from Iran.

US officials have not provided details about the withdrawal agreement, but it calls for the mission against the ISIS group to end by September 2025, and that some US troops will remain through 2026 to support the anti-ISIS mission in Syria. Some troops may stay in the Kurdistan region after that because the regional government would like them to stay.

Ryder announced last week that there are about 2,000 US troops in Syria – more than double the 900 that the US had acknowledged publicly until now.

On Monday he said the extra 1,100 would be deployed for shorter times to do force protection, transportation, maintenance and other missions. He said the number has fluctuated for the past several years and increased “over time.”



EU, UN Agree on Importance of Libya Ceasefire

EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando meets head of UNSMIL with Hanna Tetteh. Photo released by Orlando on X
EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando meets head of UNSMIL with Hanna Tetteh. Photo released by Orlando on X
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EU, UN Agree on Importance of Libya Ceasefire

EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando meets head of UNSMIL with Hanna Tetteh. Photo released by Orlando on X
EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando meets head of UNSMIL with Hanna Tetteh. Photo released by Orlando on X

The United Nations rights office called on Wednesday for an independent investigation into the discovery of mass graves at detention centers in Libya's capital Tripoli as the European Union Ambassador to Libya said he agreed with the UN that “no effort should be spared to preserve the ceasefire and prevent a return to violence.”

EU Ambassador Nicola Orlando said he discussed with Hanna Tetteh, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), “views on our respective outreach to Libyan and international partners.”

He said they discussed “the next steps” in the political process facilitated by UNSMIL, “including how the EU can best support her efforts at this delicate juncture for Libya.”

He “reiterated the EU’s strong backing for her facilitation and commended the renewed sense of urgency she has brought through her consultations.”

Orlando said he “stressed the need for all key actors to engage constructively with UNSMIL and avoid uncoordinated initiatives.”

Meanwhile, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR ) said it was "shocked" by gross human rights violations uncovered at official and unofficial detention facilities in Libya.

OHCHR said the discovery of dozens of bodies and suspected instruments of torture and abuse confirmed longstanding findings by the UN that human rights violations were committed at such sites.

"We call on the Libyan authorities to conduct independent, impartial and transparent investigations into these discoveries," OHCHR said in a statement. It urged the authorities to preserve evidence and grant Libya's forensic teams, as well as the United Nations, full access to the sites.