![]() Trump’s accelerated withdrawal undermines the very peace talks he touts. And when the time is right, we should leave together in a coordinated and orderly way,” he said. NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gave an uncharacteristically frank warning that the price for leaving “could be very high,” worrying that Afghanistan could once again become a haven for international terrorist groups. The 30-nation alliance remains heavily reliant on American transport, logistics, and other assistance. NATO currently has fewer than 12,000 troops in the country, primarily to train and advise government forces. The drawdown also leaves NATO allies high and dry. Their relationship has continued, and a May UN report even indicated that al-Qaeda is “quietly gaining strength in Afghanistan while continuing to operate with the Taliban under their protection.”Īl-Qaeda currently has training camps in eastern Afghanistan and roughly 400 to 600 operatives active across 12 Afghan provinces.Ī hasty withdrawal rewards the Taliban for conditions they have not met and leaves al-Qaeda in a position ripe to reap the benefits. The peace deal required assurances from the Taliban to break ties with al-Qaeda, but they have done nothing of the sort. Ties With Al-QaedaĪ hasty withdrawal puts political expediency above national security. If the US is to give the negotiations and the Afghan government a fighting chance, its troop drawdowns need to be conditions-based to hold the Taliban to their word. ![]() We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas! Despite this, the US is accelerating its withdrawal. Nine months later and with intra-Afghan negotiations just off the ground, the Taliban still haven’t lived up to their end of the deal. In sidelining the Afghan government, Washington negotiated directly with the Taliban, promising a full withdrawal in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees and genuine intra-Afghan negotiations. In February 2020, the US and the Taliban signed a peace agreement that was shaky at best. Although his early Christmas surprise thankfully didn’t pan out - Trump said in an October 8 tweet that he wanted all 4,500 troops home by Christmas - this most recent cut destabilizes Afghanistan’s future. President Donald Trump’s abrupt order to reduce US troops in Afghanistan to 2,500 by mid-January stunned both sides of the aisle. ![]()
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