SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Pentagon has told U.S. commanders to prepare for a further withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, two U.S. officials told CNN.
CNN cited the officials as saying that the Pentagon had issued a notice to commanders known as a “warning order” to begin panning to reduce the number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq will be reduced to 2,500 each by January 15, the officials said.
There are approximately 4,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Iraq, according to CNN.
Trump tweeted on October 7 that the United States “should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!”
U.S. military commanders have repeatedly resisted reducing troop numbers in Afghanistan, arguing they would be unable to do their job with so few people.
“The direction is arbitrary and capricious and now it’s up to us to figure our what [Mr Trump] means,” the Financial Times quoted a U.S. defense official as saying.
French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France would make clear to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to Paris on Monday that it opposed a unilateral American withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan given the fight against militants.
