Trump orders Pentagon to pull 2,500 troops from Afghanistan and Iraq

[left-of-center2012]

President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to pull 2,500 U.S. 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 Jan. 15, days before Trump is set to leave office.

Ahead of Miller's announcement, a senior Defense official told reporters that the drawdown was a “collaborative decision," but would not say which military leaders had recommended the plan. The official also would not say which conditions had been met by the Taliban to warrant such a drawdown in Afghanistan.

The drawdown order — which contradicts months of previous advice from top Defense officials — comes a week after Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper and replaced him with Miller. Esper’s ouster also set off a leadership purge at the Pentagon, with several of those positions now filled by Trump loyalists.

The departures appeared to help clear the way for Trump to order the hasty drawdown, as the military has long argued against going below 4,500 troops in Afghanistan. Conditions on the ground do not warrant a further drawdown, they have said, as the Taliban has failed to uphold its agreement with the United States for peace in the country.

That sentiment was repeated in a Pentagon watchdog report released hours before the drawdown order Tuesday that found the Taliban has conducted a “small number” of attacks against U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan, despite its February agreement with the Trump administration banning such attacks.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/526362-trump-orders-pentagon-to-pull-2500-troops-from-afghanistan-and-iraq

[underpants]

1. Another Trump pump fake. Good but that's not what he wanted.

He half assed it.

[Sanity Claws]

2. They'll slow walk this

[Op-ed Daily]

3. This is part of Trump's "burn down the house" Strategy

All the military officials, and even his own Republican playthings in the Senate, have told him this isn't a good idea given that it may create a vacuum like we saw in Iraq and elsewhere.

I'm pretty sure he's doing this on purpose because it'll end up hurting the US given that it is being done in a 'last minute' way, without any thought given to it whatsoever.

This will force Biden to either put troops back in, OR, force him to deal with a resurgence of another form of ISIS, or whatever may come.

Trump is willing to hurt US interests to help him win again in 2024, assuming he doesn't get thrown in jail for being a traitor.

Don't get me wrong - we certainly need to get out of all of the little wars Dubya started, as well as Obama, but there needs to be a lot of thought and time given to this.

What a disaster Trump is. Sore loser.

[left-of-center2012]

4. Trump is doing all he can to hurt the USA

Sore loser.

[Resistance1]

5. Sure so he can taunt Biden and cheer on his failure

while all of the fake ass patriots stand idly by. Even Moscow Mitch said this was a bad idea

[Polybius]

8. You want them to stay there?

I thought we all wanted the US to pull out. That's what we said under Bush.

[left-of-center2012]

9. I did not say that

Please don't put words in my mouth.
That's so un-cool.

[Polybius]

11. I just skip words sometimes because I'm lazy

I didn't literally mean "You want them to stay there." I should have added the word "Do" to the post. I meant to simply ask "Do you want them to stay there?" I was certainly not saying you wanted that, I was simply asking.

[Grins]

6. I'm so old I remember..

...when Republicans set their tits on fire (and that was a sight to see!) when Obama pulled troops out of Iraq.

(He was actually following the agreement GW Bush had with the Iraqi government to leave because they could not agree on the Status of Forces agreement.)

[Polybius]

7. Good

I don't care who gives the order, as long as we leave.

[crickets]

10. It's all sour grapes and petulant power plays.

In his mind - screw both countries, it's all about him.