CENCTOM Commander Says He Doesn’t Know For How Long US Troops Will Stay In Syria

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On March 18, Gen. Frank McKenzie commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) told reporters that he doesn’t know for how long US troops will remain in Syria.

During a press briefing at the Pentagon, Gen. McKenzie said the US troops are still present in Syria to complete the defeat of ISIS as well as to support the Syrian Democratic Forces.

The US has roughly 900 troops in Syria. Most of these troops are deployed at key oil and gas fields in the northeastern governorates of Deir Ezzor and al-Hasakah. The rest are deployed at a small garrison in the southeastern area of al-Tanf.

According to Gen. McKenzie, the decision to withdraw US troops from Syria is in the hands of the national leadership in Washington.

“I don’t know how long we’re going to remain in Syria. That’s just not known to me,” CENTCOM commander said. “Ultimately, that’ll be a policy decision that’ll be made by, you know, national leadership of the United States as we go forward, based on the situation on the ground.”

The legitimate government in Damascus has been growing frustrated with the US illegitimate military presence in the country.

For the last few months, Syrian soldiers and government supporters have been restricting the movements of US troops in the northeastern region. The troops deployed in the northeastern region and al-Tanf also came under attack on several occasions this year. Most of the attacks were attributed to Iranian-backed Syrian and Iraqi fighters.

Despite all of these threats, the Biden administration appears to be determined to maintain a military presence in Syria for the long term. This will likely prolong the war in the country.

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