Trump orders Pentagon to withdraw up to HALF the 14,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan – ‘a decision made at same time as Syria withdrawal’, sparking Mattis’ resignation
The military has been ordered to substantially cut troop levels in Afghanistan
Verbal drawdown orders have been given but logistics are still in planning stage
Sources say the timeline could be weeks or months, possibly by next summer
More than 2,400 U.S. troops have died during the 17-year war in Afghanistan
President Donald Trump has long pressed to pull troops out of the country
Comes as Trump on Wednesday ordered all U.S. troops to pull out of Syria
Both moves may have contributed to resignation of Defense Secretary Mattis
DAILYMAIL.COM
20 December 2018
President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. military to withdraw up to half of its 14,000 troops from Afghanistan, officials say.
The Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw the troops, marking a sharp change in the Trump administration’s policy aimed at forcing the Taliban to the peace table after more than 17 years of war, according to U.S. officials.
One official says the troops could be out by summer, but no final decision has been made.
Another official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a decision had been made and verbal orders had been given to start planning for the drawdown. The official said timelines were being discussed but it could happen in weeks or months.
On Wednesday, Trump rebuffed top advisers and decided to pull all U.S. troops out of Syria, a decision that contributed to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis abruptly quitting on Thursday over significant policy differences with the president.
Trump made the decision to draw down in Afghanistan and pull out of Syria at the same time, one official told the New York Times.
Trump has long pressed to pull troops out of Afghanistan, but was persuaded by Mattis and others to keep them there to pressure the Taliban and battle a stubborn Islamic State insurgency.
Officials say the latest White House push for withdrawal was another key factor in Mattis’ decision to resign Thursday.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
It is unclear how the United States with less than 9,000 forces in Afghanistan will be able to fulfill the full set of missions now underway, including training Afghan forces, advising them in the field, and waging an air campaign against the Taliban and other militant groups.
Instead, the United States almost certainly would have to curtain its missions, something that could provide an opportunity for a resurgent Taliban to expand their offensives across Afghanistan.
Mattis had argued for maintaining a strong U.S. military presence in Afghanistan to bolster diplomatic peace efforts. He resigned shortly after U.S. officials raised the possibility that Trump would order the drawdown.
The decision on Syria has bewildered U.S. allies and triggered harsh reaction from Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress.
The Pentagon declined to comment on Afghanistan.
The Rest…HERE
