Acting secretary of defense confirms US troop drawdowns in Iraq, Afghanistan



Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller confirmed Tuesday that the Pentagon will further reduce the number of U.S. service members in Iraq and Afghanistan at the direction of President Donald Trump, with a deadline that lands just days before Inauguration Day.

What are the details?

Fox News reported that, according to Miller, "U.S. forces will be cut by roughly half in Afghanistan to 2,500, and by 500 troops in Iraq to 2,500" by Jan. 15, 2021.

While the presidential race remains contested through several lawsuits filed by the Trump campaign, mainstream media outlets have roundly called the election for former Vice President Joe Biden. Regardless of who ultimately wins the White House, Inauguration Day is slated for Jan 20.

"This decision by the president is based on continuous engagement with his national security cabinet over the past several months, including ongoing discussions with me and my colleagues across the United States government," Miller said during a briefing from the Pentagon.

"I have also spoken with our military commanders and we all will execute this repositioning in a way that protects our fighting men and women, our partners in the intelligence community and diplomatic corps, and our superb allies that are critical to rebuilding Afghan and Iraqi security capabilities and civil society for a lasting peace in troubled lands," Miller said.

The announcement comes just days after Trump fired Miller's predecessor, former Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

According to the Washington Post, Esper sent a classified letter to the White House prior to his termination, warning that "conditions on the ground were not yet right" for a full withdrawal from Afghanistan, "citing the ongoing violence, possible dangers to the remaining troops in the event of a rapid pullout, potential damage to alliances and apprehension about undercutting the negotiations."

Trump vowed to bring troops home

President Trump has vowed to bring American troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq since he first took office. Yet, NBC News noted that "the move still stops short of Trump's pledge to end America's longest war. Just last month, the president tweeted that he wanted to pull out all remaining troops in Afghanistan by Christmas."

The timing of Trump's additional drawdown has been met with mixed reactions on Capitol Hill, even from the president's own party.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Monday about a "premature American exit" from Afghanistan amid rumors of plans for a reduction of troops, while Kentucky's junior Sen. Rand Paul tweeted, "What brings Big Government Republicans and Democrats together? Support for Endless War. After 19 years in Afghanistan, it's high time to bring our troops home!"

Mitch McConnell warns against 'premature American exit' from Afghanistan amid reports of Trump troop drawdown



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Monday against rushing to pull more U.S. servicemembers from Afghanistan and other countries in the Middle East, saying that a "premature American exit" would harm U.S. allies and help its enemies.

His comments come as several outlets reported that President Donald Trump is planning a significant troop drawdown before Inauguration Day.

What are the details?

Politico reported that according to an unnamed defense official, "The White House has told the Pentagon to begin planning to bring the troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq down to 2,500 each by Jan. 15, just days before President Donald Trump leaves office."

The outlet further noted:

The military is in the midst of drawing down from roughly 8,600 to 4,500 troops in Afghanistan under the terms of a peace agreement with the Taliban announced in February. The new order would roughly halve the number of American troops in the country again, to 2,500 ahead of the full withdrawal planned by May 2021 in exchange for a set of guarantees from the Taliban.

News of the purportedly pending drawdown was first reported by CNN, and came just days after Trump fired Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

Speaking from the Senate floor on Monday, McConnell did not directly criticize the president. Rather, he said that in Congress, "a small minority in both parties seem to think it is in America's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them."

The majority leader went on to praise the Trump administration for making "tremendous headway in creating the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists," but argued that there is still work to be done before the U.S. withdraws its troops too aggressively.

"The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama's withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011," McConnell said, according to The Hill. "It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975. We'd be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan."

He added, "A disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major success this administration has worked to compile."

Premature Afghanistan Exit Would Jeopardize Trump Administration's Record of Success www.youtube.com

Anything else?

Not everyone agreed with McConnell's remarks.

Sean Davis, co-founder of The Federalist, tweeted in reaction to the majority leader's comments, "We've been in Afghanistan for 20 year[s]. Withdrawal is long overdue, not 'quick.' It's a myth that there's no bipartisan consensus in Washington. Both parties have spent decades trying to push two things down America's throat: open borders, and forever war."

We've been in Afghanistan for 20 year. Withdrawal is long overdue, not "quick."It's a myth that there's no bipart… https://t.co/DdK2eiGrGo
— Sean Davis (@Sean Davis)1605561110.0