Trump says number of US troops in Afghanistan is ‘at a 19-year low’ after drawdown

With just days left in his term, President Donald Trump has fulfilled yet another promise to the American people.

American Military News reports that Trump’s plans to withdraw roughly 2,000 troops from Afghanistan and hundreds more from Iraq have been executed, meaning the number of troops in the two countries is now at its lowest in nearly 20 years.

Pulling them out

According to American Military News, the development was announced Friday by Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller. He said in a statement that approximately 2,000 troops had been pulled out of Afghanistan, leaving just 2,500 remaining in the country.

“Directed by President Trump, and as I announced on November 17, this drawdown brings U.S. forces in the country to their lowest levels since 2001,” Miller said. “Today, the United States is closer than ever to ending nearly two decades of war and welcoming in an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led peace process to achieve a political settlement and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” he added.

According to Miller, the reduction came as part of the 2020 U.S.-Taliban agreement and the U.S.-Afghanistan Joint Declaration from that same year. In those deals, the U.S. agreed to remove its troops from Afghanistan so long as the Taliban remains free of violence and works toward peace with Afghanistan’s government.

If the peace continues, the U.S. could have all of its troops removed from Afghanistan by May of this year, Miller said.

“Moving forward, while the Department continues with planning capable of further reducing U.S. troop levels to zero by May of 2021, any such future drawdowns remain conditions-based,” he explained. “All sides must demonstrate their commitment to advancing the peace process. Further, the United States will continue to take any action necessary to ensure protection of our homeland, our citizens and our interests.”

“Stopping the endless wars”

As for Iraq, Miller told a similar tale, saying in a separate statement Friday that the U.S. had “reduced the force levels in Iraq to 2,500,” a move he said “is reflective of the increased capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces.”

Miller explained that officials had “long anticipated that the force level required to support Iraq’s fight against ISIS would decrease as Iraq’s capability to manage the threat from ISIS improves. Our ability to reduce force levels is evidence of real progress,” he said.

The defense secretary also said the U.S. “will continue to have a counterterrorism platform in Iraq to support partner forces with airpower and intelligence.”

With that, it seems Trump and his administration have officially met their goal of paring down troop numbers in the Middle East — and the president wasn’t afraid to boast about it in a brief statement of his own on Thursday.

“United States military troops in Afghanistan are at a 19-year low. Likewise, Iraq and Syria are also at the lowest point in many years,” Trump said. He went on:

I will always be committed to stopping the endless wars. It has been a great honor to rebuild our military and support our brave men and women in uniform. $2.5 trillion invested, including in beautiful new equipment — all made in the U.S.A.

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Robert Ayers

Robert Ayers is a staff writer for Conservative Institute. He has a bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut.

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40 Responses

    1. You are right. God is angry and the earth is shaking because he is walking on it. Not an earthquake or sonic boom. The great winds that have been felt all over? That is God! Do not be deceived, God is not mocked!

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  2. Another one of President Trump’s promises to the Amerucan people has been kept. Thank you, President Trump, for all you have done for us. Your accomplishments have been of the greatest magnitude. Your supporters will always support you .

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  5. Thank Mr. President for bringing our troops home and avoiding getting us involved in endless wars. It shows how much you care for the American people.

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  6. God Bless our great American President Trump. Thank you for all you have done to keep us a free nation. God Bless America

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        1. I really think Biden will sell out to China in a very short time, he and his family are 100 % for China, he really does not care for the USA and never did.

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  9. Obama was worse president and his third term through Biden will begin! Thank GOD President Trump was the true Americans president who stood up to EVERY PROMISE he made. NO OTHER president has done anything they claimed in order to get elected! God bless Yrump and his familt for all the suffering they eent through for four plus years! President Trump will go down on history as THE GREATEST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY who stood up to years of foreign injustices done to America economically and to terrorist that threatened our military! He did not just talk, but acted!

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  10. I don’t get it? So Ilhan Omar, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Billy Clinton, Hunter Biden, and many more demo Crooks do all these crazy crimes why are they still walking? Why is one of the best President’s this country has ever had being impeached? Why? The evidence is clear. These crooked politicians have a paper trail? Mr. Trump is clear!

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    2. Yes, President Trump is the best President America ever had! It is too bad that there are so many ignorant people in America, so many Criminals who are Democrats and RINOS!

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  11. GOD BLESS PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS FAMILY!!!!! He did what he said he would do and for no pay, he gave his pay back!!! The screwy Dems may try and write him out of history, but WE THE PEOPLE will not forget!!!!!!! AGAIN THANK YOU SIR!!!!!!!

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  13. It seems he has completed his list of promises. Did more for America than obamma or obiden will ever do to help and improve peoples lives.
    of course obiden makes promises to destroy America, that is like a child breaking his toys because he is upset.

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  14. President Trump brought them home just to be sent back in a week to be slaughtered for obumas enjoyment….

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  15. What’s so wonderful about reducing our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq? All of Trump’s generals were opposed to this. Less troops in the Middle East means more instability.

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