American Military News by Laura Widener 12/16/2019
The Trump administration is expected this week to announce the withdrawal of 4,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Approximately 12,000 to 13,000 U.S. troops are currently positioned in Afghanistan, and the upcoming withdrawal would reduce that number to 8,000 or 9,000, NBC News reported.
U.S. officials told NBC News that the withdrawal is a “phased withdrawal†that could take place over several months, and could consist partly of not replacing troops during typical rotations.
The news follows in line with President Trump’s goal to withdraw troops from Afghanistan – something he indicated he wanted to see by the November 2020 election.
“The commander feels confident we can go down to a lower level without jeopardizing our ability to ensure that Afghanistan doesn’t become a safe haven for terrorism,†Secretary of Defense Esper said last week.
Esper indicated that CENTCOM forces could be relocated to the “priority theater†of the Asia Pacific region.
More:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2019/12/trump-admin-to-announce-withdrawal-of-4000-us-troops-from-afghanistan-report/
