US to Withdraw Half of its 14,000 Troops from Afghanistan
US President Donald Trump has ordered the start of withdrawing some 7,000 troops from Afghanistan, about half of the total number of American boots on the ground in the war-torn country, according to Itar Tass.
The abrupt decision, which came a day after the president’s announcement of military withdrawal from Syria, has stunned even Afghan officials who say they have not been briefed on the plans.
Reuters had earlier quoted a US official as saying that the number of forces to be pulled out from Afghanistan was 5,000. However, the New York Times later increased the number to 7,000, quoting two defense officials.
The official who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity said timelines were being discussed but it could happen in weeks or months.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally and frequent golf partner of Trump, on Thursday warned the troop pullout from Afghanistan could ultimately lead to another attack on America similar to the one on Sept. 11, 2001.
Graham said the conditions in Afghanistan made the withdrawal a high-risk strategy. “If we continue on our present course we are setting in motion the loss of all our gains and paving the way toward a second 9/11.”
Trump’s decision on Afghanistan was made at the same time he decided to pull American forces out of Syria, one official said.
US not Middle East’s Policeman
The US president also defended his decision on Syria, arguing that the US does not want to be the “Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others.”
He said in another tweet that one should not be surprised by the abrupt announcement.
“Getting out of Syria was no surprise. I’ve been campaigning on it for years, and six months ago, when I very publicly wanted to do it, I agreed to stay longer.”
He later tweeted that fighting Daesh terrorists in Syria would be up to the Syrian government troops aided by Russia and Iran.
The pullout from Syria prompted US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to finally announce his long-anticipated resignation to allow President Trump to have a defense chief whose views are more aligned with the US president, he said in his resignation letter Thursday.
H.M