US to withdraw thousands of troops from Afghanistan, Iraq by January 2021

In the latest development regarding the withdrawal of troops, the Trump administration on Wednesday announced that the United States would call back thousands of its troops from Afghanistan and Iraq by January 2021. The Acting Secretary of State Chris Miller, during a press briefing on November 18, said that the US would withdraw thousands of its troops by January 15 and only 2,500 US military members will be left in each country. 

Miller further said the move was consistent with the nation’s 'strategic objectives'. However, critics of fast-moving troop withdrawal fear it will hinder the ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, according to The Independent UK reports.

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According to a CNN report, the Pentagon has sent a notice to its commanders, also known as the "warning order", to initiate the planning process of the withdrawal of hundreds of troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq just five days before the Inauguration Day on January 20 when 46th US President-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in.

At present, there are nearly 4,500 US military commanders in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Iraq, but the latest move calling for drawdown indicates that the Trump administration is willing to remove thousands of troops from both countries. This also came in the backdrop of Trump saying earlier this year that he wants all American soldiers 'home' by Christmas. On October 7, Trump had tweeted: "We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!"

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(Image-AP)