HOW MANY DO WE HAVE THERE? WE DUG INTO WHAT THE NUMBERS
SHOW AND WHAT THE NUMBERS JUST
DON’T SHOW.
DON’T SHOW. >> Reporter: PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
REPEATEDLY PROMISED HE WOULD
BRING TROOPS HOME.
>> WE WANT TO BRING OUR TROOPS
BACK HOME.
BACK HOME. >> WE’RE BRINGING OUR TROOPS
BACK HOME.
BACK HOME. I GOT ELECTED ON BRINGING OUR
SOLDIERS BACK HOME.
>> I WANT TO GET OUT.
I WANT TO BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
HOME.
HOME. >> OUR BOYS, OUR YOUNG WOMEN,
OUR MEN, THEY’RE ALL COMING
BACK.
BACK. >> Reporter: WITH THE WAR IN
AFGHANISTAN NOW IN ITS 18th
YEAR, TROOPS IN IRAQ, SYRIA,
YEMEN, A NEW BASE IN NIGER, WE
HAVE A BROAD FOOTPRINT ABROAD.
WE WANTED TO ANSWER THE
QUESTION, ARE THE TROOPS REALLY
COMING HOME?
COMING HOME? THERE ARE TWO TYPICAL WAYS IN
WHICH THE PUBLIC CAN SEE HOW
MANY TROOPS THE U.S. HAS ON THE
GROUND IN EACH COUNTRY.
ONE CAN LOOK AT THE DEFENSE MAN
POWER DATA CENTER, THE DNBC, A
SLIGHTLY TECHNICAL BUT WELL
ORGANIZED WEBSITE THAT DOCUMENTS
EVERY COUNTRY AND THE TROOP
COUNT BY SERVICE EVERY QUARTER
OR YOU CAN GET A MUCH ROUGHER
ESTIMATE FROM PRESS RELEASES THE
U.S. MILITARY WILL RELEASE
SPORADICALLY
SPORADICALLY SPORADICALLY.
SPORADICALLY. THE DMBC IS A TIME STAMPED
ESTIMATE THAT EXCLUDES SPECIAL
FORCES, SOME TEMPORARY
ASSIGNMENTS AND A LOT OF
INACCURATECIES BECAUSE IT’S
PUBLISHED EVERY THREE MONTHS.
IT’S STILL AN IMPORTANT RESEARCH
TOOL TO GET A MORE SPECIFIC
UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE TROOPS
ARE AND WHEN.
ACCORDING TO THIS DATA, THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF TROOPS IN THESE
THREE COUNTRIES WAS OVER 160,000
IN 2008.
IN 2008. WITH THE BULK OF THEM IN IRAQ.
THEY THEN DROPPED TO A LOW OF
AROUND 14,000 IN JUNE 2015.
AROUND ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE TRUMP
WAS ELECTED.
WAS ELECTED. AFTER A DRAWDOWN IN AFGHANISTAN.
BUT THE NUMBERS ALL TOGETHER
INCREASED DURING THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. AND THEN IN SEPTEMBER 2017 NO
MORE NUMBERS.
MORE NUMBERS. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO,
FOLLOWING THE AMBUSH IN NIGER,
THE PENTAGON UNDER THE
LEADERSHIP OF SECRETARY MATTIS,
DECIDED TO STOP REPORTING THE
TROOP LEVELS IN THOSE THREE
COUNTRIES THROUGH THE DATABASE
AND IN OFFICIAL RELEASES.
NOW, HERE’S THE EXCEL
SPREADSHEETS THAT LIST WHERE
AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS ARE AND
SHOWS INFORMATION ON EVERY OTHER
OPERATION.
OPERATION. AND HERE’S WHERE WE SHOULD BE
ABLE TO SEE HOW MANY TROOPS ARE
DEPLOYED IN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ
AND SYRIA.
AND SYRIA. BUT THE CELLS ARE BLANK.
WHERE DOES THE PUBLIC GO TO
UNDERSTAND HOW MANY U.S. SERVICE
MEMBERS ARE IN THESE COUNTRIES?
>> I THINK NOW THE INFORMATION
IS SCATTER SHOT.
YOU REALLY NEED SOMEONE TO
ACCUMULATE GATE THE DATA
OTHERWISE THE PUBLIC IS SORT OF
AT A LOSS.
IN TERMS OF A ONE-OFF DATABASE,
NO, IT’S NOT REALLY THERE
ANYMORE BECAUSE SECRETARY MATTIS
IN PARTICULAR DECIDED THAT
GIVING THAT INFORMATION OUT WAS
GIVING TOO MUCH TO POTENTIAL
ADVERSARIES AND HE WANTED TO
REIN IN THE OUTFLOW OF
INFORMATION IN GENERAL.
>> HERE’S WHAT WE DO KNOW.
IN OCTOBER THE DOD POSTED A
PRESS RELEASE SAYING THAT SINCE
MAY, 14,000 TROOPS HAD BEEN
ADDED TO THE AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY.
RESPONSIBILITY. WHICH AMONG OTHER COUNTRIES
INCLUDES AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ AND
SYRIA.
SYRIA. BUT LATER IN OCTOBER GENERAL
MILLER, THE TOP U.S. COMMANDER
IN AFGHANISTAN, SAID
APPROXIMATELY 2,000 U.S. TROOPS
HAVE LEFT AFGHANISTAN IN THE
PAST YEAR.
PAST YEAR. >> WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO
OPTIMIZE THE FORCE.
UNBEKNOWNST TO THE PUBLIC, SINCE
2000 WE’VE REDUCED OUR
AUTHORIZED STRENGTH BY 2,000.
>> Reporter: BUT WE DON’T KNOW
HOW MANY OF THOSE TROOPS HAVE
COME HOME YET.
WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, THEY TOLD
US THE U.S. HAD APPROXIMATELY
13,000 TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN,
5,200 TROOPS IN IRAQ, AND 3,000
IN SAUDI ARABIA.
THAT IRAQ NUMBER HASN’T CHANGED
MUCH SINCE 2017.
BUT THEY DIDN’T RESPOND TO
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DMDC
REDACTIONS ANDESQUICALLY NOR DID
THEY GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT
TROOP LEVELS IN SYRIA.
TO BE SURE, EVERY ADMINISTRATION
HAS WRESTLED WITH TRANSPARENCY
AND THE PENTAGON DIFFERENTLY.
SOMETIMES IT COMES UP IN TROOP
LEVELS, SOMETIMES IN REPORTING
AIR STRIKES OR WHAT’S DISCLOSED
IN DAILY UPDATES.
THE SECRECY OF THE PENTAGON HAS
ALWAYS EBBED AND FLOWED BUT THE
DECISION BACK THEN TO BLACK OUT
DATA FROM THESE THREE CONFLICT
ZONES WAS IMPORTANT AND FOLLOWED
MIXED MESSAGES FROM SECRETARY
MATTIS AND THE WHITE HOUSE.
IN 2017, FOR EXAMPLE, PRESIDENT
TRUMP SAID THIS --
>> WE WILL NOT TALK ABOUT
NUMBERS OF TROOPS OR OUR PLANS
FOR FURTHER MILITARY ACTIVITIES.
>> Reporter: BUT AT A PRESS
CONFERENCE IN 2017, MATTIS
PROMISED THERE WOULD BE MORE
ACCOUNTABILITY ON TROOP DATA.
HE SAID, FRANKLY, I HAD TO
CHANGE THE ACTING PROCESS
BECAUSE WE COULDN’T FIGURE OUT
HOW MANY TROOPS WE HAD THERE.
BELIEVE ME, I UNDERSTAND THE
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. IN 2017 SOME DEMOCRATS ON THE
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT
PENNED A LETTER TO MATTIS URGING
HIM TO REVERSE THE DECISION AND
STAND BY PRECEDENCE.
THE DATA HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY
AVAILABLE FOR MORE THAN A
DECADE.
DECADE. AS BOTH PRESIDENT BUSH AND
PRESIDENT OBAMA PUBLISHED FULL
TWOOP NUMBERS WE’VE HAD SINCE
2008.
2008. THERE’S SUCH A LACK OF
INFORMATION ON TROOP LEVELS THAT
THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH
SERVICE, WHICH TYPICALLY UPDATES
A REPORT ON TROOPS AND DELIVERED
TO CONGRESS ALSO SAID THEY
DIDN’T HAVE THE NUMBERS.
SOME LAWMAKERS ARGUE IT’S
CRITICAL TO WITHHOLD THE DATA IS
REVERSED.
REVERSED. HERE’S REPRESENTATIVE JIMMY
GOMEZ, ONE OF THE DEMOCRATIC
LAWMAKERS WHO SIGNED THE 2018
LETTER.
LETTER. >> I KNOW THIS DATA WE CAN GET
IN CLASSIFIED BRIEFING BUT THE
THING IS, CLASSIFIED BRIEFINGS
PREVENT US FROM ACTUALLY SHARING
THAT INFORMATION WITH THE
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. SO, WE CAN’T EVEN SHARE THAT
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WITH THE
STAFF.
STAFF. WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET SOME
WITHIN BUT -- SO THE PUBLIC IS
STILL IN THE DARK WHEN IT COMES
TO THE TROOP LEVELS.
A LOT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE
PRESIDENT MADE A COMMITMENT TO
WITHDRAW TROOPS AND END THE
ENDLESS WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? HE HAS CLAIMED HE’S DONE THAT.
AND A LOT OF THOSE DECISIONS
COME AND THE TROOP LEVELS TELL A
DIFFERENT STORY.
DIFFERENT STORY. >> Reporter: ONE EXAMPLE IS
TRUMP’S ABRUPT WITHDRAWAL FROM
NORTHEAST SYRIA.
NORTHEAST SYRIA. >> SYRIA, LET THEM TAKE CARE OF
IT.
IT. LET THEM TAKE CARE OF IT.
WE WANT TO BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
HOME.
HOME. >> Reporter: TRUMP SAID THOSE
TROOPS WOULD BE COMING HOME.
BUT WE DON’T FULLY KNOW THAT
YET.
YET. A COALITION SPOKESPERSON, FOR
EXAMPLE, SAID THEY WERE
CONTINUING THEIR WITHDRAWAL AND
THAT AT LEAST SOME TROOPS WERE
BEING REPOSITIONED TO SECURE THE
OIL FIELDS IN OTHER PARTS OF
SYRIA.
SYRIA. >> WELL, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS HIGHLY ERRATIC.
ONE DAY HE’S CALLING FOR A FULL
WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA OR
AFGHANISTAN AND THE NEXT CEASE
SAYING ABOUT THE TROOPS IN
SYRIA, AN AN UNKNOWN NUMBER WILL
STAY IN AFGHANISTAN.
IT’S TOUGH TO GAUGE WHAT’S GOING
ON BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF TROOPS IN THESE
THEATERS.
THEATERS. I’LL SAY THIS, I THINK THE
GENERAL IMPETUS TRUMP HAS IS TO
BRING MOST IF NOT ALL THE TROOPS
HOME.
HOME. HE OFTEN IS CONFRONTED BY THE
REALITY ON THE GROUND THAT WHEN
YOU DO THAT, YOU UNLEASH A WHOLE
BASKET OF THORNY OTHER ISSUES
THAT YOU’RE CONFRONTED WITH.
>> SOME LAWMAKERS DO SAY THAT
REDACTING TROOP LEVELS MAY MAKE
SENSE IN CERTAIN CASES.
A SPOKESMAN SAID THIS IN A
STATEMENT.
STATEMENT. THE COMMITTEE RECEIVES FREQUENT
CLASSIFIED UPDATES ON TROOP
LEVELS.
LEVELS. WHILE MR. THORNBERRY PREFERS
TRANSPARENCY WHERE PRACTICAL,
HOST NATION PREFERENCE, HOST
NATION AND OPERATIONAL SECURITY
HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED.
>> THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
MIGHT ARGUE THERE ARE NATIONAL
SECURITY REASONS FOR NOT
RELEASING THE DATA.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT
ARGUMENT?
ARGUMENT? >> I THINK THERE MAY BE NATIONAL
SECURITY EXCEPTIONS WHERE YOU
DON’T WANT TO DISCLOSE EVERY
BOOT ON THE GROUND FOR CERTAIN
REENDZ, WHETHER IT’S COVERT
OPERATIONS OR SOME ELITE SPECIAL
FORCES, BUT THE BROAD NUMBER OF
TROOPS OR SOLDIERS WITH BOOTS ON
THE GROUND, THOSE FIGURES SHOULD
BE PUT OUT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE ENEMY
KNOWS WE’RE THERE ANYWAY.
THE IDEA YOU CAN HIDE THE TOTAL
NUMBER OF FIGHTERS ON THE GROUND
IN AMERICA WHEN PEOPLE OVERSEAS
HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA HOW MANY
ARE THERE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO
ME.
ME. >> Reporter: EXPERTS SAY IT’S
NOT JUST ABOUT THE DATABASE.
ITS MORE ABOUT HOW THE PUBLIC
COMES TO FIND OUT WHAT WARS THE
U.S. IS COMMITTED TO AND WHY.
>> I THINK A BROADER POINT FROM
MY PERSPECTIVE IS WHAT’S NOT
BEING COMMUNICATED TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE VERY WELL IS WHY
WE’RE FIGHTING THESE DIFFERENT
AREAS OR WHAT THE GOALS ARE,
WHAT THE OBJECTIVES ARE AND WHY
THIS IS A CONTINUING COMMITMENT.
AND I’M A BIG BELIEVER THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW WHY
THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS ARE
BEING DEPLOYED -- FATHERS AND