how many wars are we in today? harder to tell

For the past few years the number has stayed at 19, as measured by the twice-yearly war powers report to Congress by the president. The latest letter, sent June 9, has several changes from the December, 2019 letter, and several omissions of other reported figures.

The new letter is mostly a copy and paste version of the earlier one.There is, however, mention of the peace negotiations in Afghanistan, the kill strike on Iranian General Soleimani, and additional troops to Kenya. Where numbers are given, the report shows more troops to Saudi Arabia and Jordan,  but fewer in Lebanon and the Sahel. In contrast to December, the June letter has no mention of US troops in Libya, Cameroon, Chad, or Nigeria.

Even more curiously, there is no mention of US troops ion Kuwait, Oman, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates despite large deployments reported earlier this year.  Maybe the classified annex has more.

As someone who has long valued these war powers reports as valuable information for Congress and the public, and accountability for the executive branch, I'm now much more skeptical. The letters haven't forced any tough decisions on presidents or received careful scrutiny by Congress.