New Pentagon Report Shows Thousands More US Troops Deployed Overseas Than Revealed Earlier

Pentagon's Defense Manpower Data Center published new figures reflecting the number of troops employed by the U.S. in the Middle East and Asian countries – Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria – which are more than the official figures revealed by the Pentagon.

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Per the quarterly report from the center, as of September 30, the United States had 15,298 troops in Afghanistan, 8,892 in Iraq and 1,720 in Syria. Whereas, officially, the U.S. military only has 503 troops in Syria and 5,262 in Iraq.

"We are not at a point where we can make an announcement (on troop numbers) that differs from what we have previously stated," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning – who pledged openness going forward – told AFP, when questioned about the discrepancies. 

"We are going to be as transparent as we can possibly be without telegraphing or silhouetting ourselves to the enemy and showcasing our capabilities to the bad guys," Manning said. 

The figures reflect what the military calls the "force management level," set by the Obama Administration, which restricted the number of on-the-ground troops in the Middle East. But the Pentagon, according to AFP, found innovative ways to remain within the set limits by not taking into account short-term assignments and not including certain categories of personnel.

Under the Trump Administration, battlefield commanders – who have been given greater flexibility to flow troops across the region – make it harder to track figures, according to  AFP.  

Officials had previously stated nearly 14,000 U.S. troops were deployed in Afghanistan.