US officials said on Monday that the Trump administration expects to cut the number of US troops in Afghanistan by nearly half to 2,500 by January 15. This order did not achieve the outgoing President Donald Trump’s goal of withdrawing all troops before the end of this year. This goal was opposed by military and diplomatic advisers.
The Pentagon also plans to reduce the number of US troops in Iraq to 2,500, that is, a reduction of more than 500. These decisions are not surprising, because Trump reorganized the Pentagon’s leadership last week and appointed some people who are loyal to him. These people, like him, are disappointed that the US military continues to be stationed in the theater.
Although Trump refused to admit to Democrat Joe Biden that he had lost his campaign, cut spending allowed him to achieve success in the final weeks of his term. Z2z
officials said that military leaders were informed of plans to withdraw troops during the weekend, and an executive order is being formulated but has not yet been handed over to the commander. Since the discussion was internal, these officials requested anonymity.
currently has 4,500 to 5,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and more than 3,000 in Iraq.
According to the planned order, the troop reduction will be completed five days before Biden takes office, which makes his military footprint in two key theaters smaller. Military commanders expressed less concern about withdrawing more troops from Iraq.
Christopher Miller, the head of Trump’s new Pentagon, hinted at the withdrawal of troops over the weekend. He said: “We are still committed to ending the war that Al Qaeda launched on the other side in 2001.”
He warned: “We must avoid past strategic mistakes. , That is, unable to completely resolve the struggle."
But he also made it clear that "all wars must end."
"This fight has been a long time, and our sacrifices are huge. And many people are tired of the war-I am one of them," he said. Ending the war requires compromise and partnership. We met the challenge; we went all out. Now, it's time to go home. "Z2z
However, the accelerated withdrawal goes against the long-term recommendations of Trump's military leadership, including the U.S. Supreme Commander in the Middle East, Admiral Frank Mackenzie. But officials suggested this week that the commander will be able to tolerate a partial withdrawal. It will allow them to keep the counter-terrorism forces in Afghanistan and give them more time to dismantle key equipment. Z2z
Mackenzie and others have repeatedly argued that a hasty withdrawal may weaken the negotiations to finalize the Taliban and Afghan social representatives, including the current Peace negotiations between the Afghan governments. They also warned that US troops should stay in the country to stop the actions of Islamic State militants.
Biden does not sound that absolute in terms of withdrawal. He has said that some troops may stay Concentrating on counter-terrorism missions in Afghanistan. In response to a questionnaire before the election, he said: “The Americans are tired of our longest war; so am I. However, we must end the war in a responsible manner to ensure that we prevent threats to our country without turning back. "The
anticipated order adds to the series of messy messages from the White House and the Pentagon about the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, and will only exacerbate the emotional roller coaster for troops and their families.
The Pentagon has already reduced the number of troops in Afghanistan as planned by mid-November. To about 4,500. U.S. military leaders have consistently stated that lower than this number must be based on local conditions, including that Taliban attacks on the Afghan army can be drastically reduced. They insist that they have not seen it yet. Z2z
After 19 years of service in Afghanistan, in February this year, it reached an agreement with the Taliban to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. The agreement stipulates that if the Taliban fulfills their commitment to combat terrorist organizations, the U.S. military will withdraw from Afghanistan within 18 months. Z2z
military officials also They warned that there are a large number of critical and classified equipment in Afghanistan’s bases that need to be removed, but it will take more time. They also said that any full withdrawal of the United States will need to coordinate with other allies in Afghanistan.
However, the White House in the past A series of confusing statements on Afghanistan were issued in a month. Trump tweeted on October 7th, “We should let the few brave men and women serving in Afghanistan return home before Christmas. "Z2z
When asked about these remarks, Trump’s national security adviserAsk Robert O'Brien that Trump is only expressing hope.
At the same time, O'Brien said that by the beginning of next year, the number of US troops in Afghanistan will be reduced to 2,500. At the time, defense officials stated that they had not received an order to reduce the number of troops to 2,500. They also warned that a rapid withdrawal of troops might lose some momentum in troubled peace negotiations.
