The US State Department has decided to withdraw more troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.
According to an announcement made by US Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller on Tuesday, the US will pull out thousands more US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq by Jan.15, 2021.
Miller said the withdrawal, which will leave approximately 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and roughly the same number in Iraq, “does not equate change” to US policies or objectives but provided no details about the plan and refused to answer questions following Tuesday’s appearance in the Pentagon briefing room.
Currently, there are approximately 4,500 US troops in Afghanistan and 3,000 troops in Iraq.
US President Donald Trump had previously warned that he would be cutting the size of US forces in the two countries.
The cut will take place before President Trump leaves office, the Pentagon said.
A senior US defense official said Tuesday’s announcement is “consistent” with what Trump publicly announced earlier this year and is “consistent with his promise to the American People.”
But the move suggests that Trump may fall short of fulfilling one of his core promises, to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan before he leaves office — something he pledged as recently as October when he tweeted: “We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!”
NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has warned of a “high price” if US and allied forces leave Afghanistan too quickly.
In a statement, he said the country risked once again becoming a platform for international terrorists to organize attacks.
Shortly after the announcement, several rockets were fired into the Green Zone in Baghdad and landed near the US embassy. It is the first such attack since Iraqi militias linked to Iran agreed to stop targeting the embassy compound last month. There are no reports of casualties or any damage. — Agencies
Source: Saudi Gazette
