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The United States is also withdrawing 500 troops from Iraq, according to the US Department of Defense. Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said on Tuesday that he had briefed US allies, including NATO, of the decision.
The soldiers will be retired in the new year. The Trump administration made the decision to step down shortly before incoming President Joe Biden takes office on January 20.
It is customary in American politics for an outgoing president to sit still on the boat and make little change in the term before taking power, but Trump has nonetheless decided to bring the soldiers home.
Mark Esper was recently fired as US Attorney General for allegedly disagreeing with the president over the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
Photo: Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Christopher Miller was sworn in as Defense Secretary last week, following the firing of Mark Esper and several of his closest allies. The firing may have been prompted by Esper and his team doing their part to prevent the recall, writes CNN.
Skepticism both nationally and internationally
There has been skepticism about such a move on the part of some parties in the Republican Party. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently warned Trump against a pullout. He believes it will give extremist groups a major propaganda victory and does not want the United States to turn its back on its partners.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been one of Donald Trump’s close allies, but has warned the president not to bring troops home from Afghanistan now.
Photo: JONATHAN ERNST / Reuters
Earlier Tuesday, before the decision was known, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned against withdrawing soldiers from the country.
– We are facing a difficult decision. We have been in Afghanistan for almost 20 years and no NATO ally wants to be there longer than necessary. At the same time, the price of withdrawing prematurely or without coordination can be very high, Stoltenberg said in a statement.
It warns that Afghanistan can once again become a safe haven for terrorists and a place where ISIS can rebuild its forces.
19 years of war
The decision is still expected to be well received by many war-weary Americans. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq started in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and have been going on for a generation.
“The move reflects Trump’s policy of achieving a successful and responsible end to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and bringing our troops home,” Miller said.
The United States has had troops in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years.
Photo: Omar Sobhani / Reuters
According to the US media, the United States currently has about 4,500 troops in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Iraq. Miller did not provide details on which units will be withdrawing from the country or what the mission of the remaining soldiers will be.
In February, Trump and the Afghan authorities signed a peace agreement with the Taliban to remove all troops from Afghanistan by May 2021. The next phase of this agreement is now being negotiated in Dubai. Despite this, the number of attacks by the Taliban has increased in recent months.
