Defense Policy

Trump to order troop reductions in Afghanistan, Iraq

Military Times: The Trump administration is expected to cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan almost in half to 2,500 by Jan. 15, a U.S. official said Monday. The order would stop short of outgoing President Donald Trump’s goal to have all troops withdrawn by the end of the year, which had faced opposition from military and diplomatic advisers.

The Pentagon also expects to cut the number of troops in Iraq to 2,500, a reduction of more than 500. The decisions follow Trump’s shakeup of the Pentagon last week in which he installed loyalists who share his frustration with the continued troop presence in the Middle East. It would give Trump an accomplishment in his final weeks in office even as he refuses to concede his election loss to Joe Biden.

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