Hundreds of US troops leaving, and also arriving, in Syria

In fact, once the comings and goings are done, the total number of US forces in Syria is expected to be about 900 — close to the 1,000 troops on the ground when Trump ordered the withdrawal of American forces from the country.

FILE — U.S. special forces soldiers at a front line outpost outside Manbij, Syria, February7, 2018. With or without an American pullout, Syria is now a Balkanized version of what existed before it plunged into a calamitous civil war in 2011. (Mauricio Lima/The New York Times)

By Eric Schmitt and Helene Cooper