President Trump orders withdrawal of 2000 American troops from Afghanistan by early January
- President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to withdraw 2500 troops from Afghanistan and Iraq by mid-January, despite the repeated warnings from NATO and the intelligence community.
WASHINGTON: President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to withdraw 2500 troops from Afghanistan and Iraq by mid-January, despite the repeated warnings from NATO and the intelligence community.
The Department of Defense is expected to slash the number of troops in Afghanistan from 4500 to 2500, and the number of troops in Iraq from 3000 to 2500; a drastic step only a few days prior to the President formally leaving office.
Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller stated to reporters that “I am formally announcing that we will implement President Trump’s orders to continue our repositioning of forces” from Afghanistan and Iraq, Miller told reporters at the Pentagon.
Miller stated that President Trump’s decision “is based on continuous engagement with his national security Cabinet for months", contradicting months of speculation around the President's stacking of key positions in the final phase of his administration.
Only yesterday, NATO Secretary-General warned the United States of the potential consequences of leaving Afghanistan "too early", as a drastic removal of troops could derail the peace process.
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