Military

 

Donald Trump orders US troop withdrawals after ousting Pentagon chief

The Pentagon has announced it will reduce troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to the lowest levels since the earliest days of America’s wars in the countries, in a withdrawal that would conclude just before Joe Biden’s inauguration as US president. The drawdown, announced by Donald Trump’s newly-installed acting defence secretary, was ordered by the outgoing president despite opposition from some defence officials, who argued that instability in Afghanistan made a retreat unwise. The Trump administration had already reduced US troop levels in Afghanistan from 14,000 last year to 4,500, under to Mr Trump’s promise to conclude the “endless wars” of his predecessors. The latest cutback would take force levels down to 2,500 in both Afghanistan and Iraq, where there are currently about 3,000 US troops. Although Mr Trump has long advocated troop withdrawals in the region, the manner and timing of the order has caused consternation among Washington foreign policy figures.