Trump orders Pentagon to withdraw 2,500 troops from Afghanistan, Iraq
Nov 17, 2020
Washington [US], November 18 : United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered the Pentagon to pull 2,500 US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq by mid-January, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller announced Tuesday.
The Defense Department will cut the number of troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 and the number of forces in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500 by January 15, days before Trump is set to leave the office, The Hill reported.
"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 also said that Trump's decision "is based on continuous engagement with his national security cabinet for the past several months, including ongoing discussions with me and my colleagues across the United States government."
He added that he spoke with "key leaders in Congress as well as our allies and partners abroad to update them on these plans" earlier in the day.
In February, the Trump administration and Taliban had signed an agreement that calls for a full US withdrawal from Afghanistan if the terror group upholds counterterrorism commitments such as denying safe haven to al Qaeda.
Since the deal was signed, the Taliban has stepped up attacks against Afghan forces, which US officials have repeatedly condemned as threatening the peace process.
The withdrawn order comes only a week after Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper and replaced him with Miller.
