The United States official on Thursday, said President Donald Trump is now planning to withdraw its US troops of about 5,000 of its 14,000 from Afghanistan, a latest sign of Trump’s patience getting lessening with the US longest war and also overseas military interventions.
Trump has on Wednesday, withdrawn its US-strong forces from Syria and vowed that the US would no longer be a “policemen of the Middle East” and with a saying that the Islamic States had been now defeated, and declared victory over ISIS.
Due to Trump’s decision, the US defence secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday, resigned as Trump has escalate a backlash at home and also home when he suddenly decided to pull out 2,000 US troops from Syria.
In a letter to Trump, Mattis wrote: “Because you have the right to have a Secretary of defence whose views are better aligned with yours.” Mattis further wrote:” I believe it is right for me to step down from my position.”
However, Mattis would continue to hold his position till February, giving time to Trump to think of Mattis successor, who can be elected by the senate.
Well, it is right now unclear how will 9,000 US forces in Afghanistan will fight and fulfill a set of missions, including advising and training Afghan forces and waging air campaign against the Taliban with other militant groups.
Though, Mattis has argued with Trump to hold the US troops in Afghanistan to strengthen diplomatic peace efforts.
While resigning, in a tweet, Mattis wrote: “My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues.”
Over Trump’s surprise decision on withdrawing US troops from Syria has triggered US allies and republicans. However, the Pentagon refused to comment over Trump’s decision of withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan.
National security council spokesperson Garrett Marquis said that the White House would not comment “on future strategic developments”.
Republican senator Lindsey Graham warned about possible danger to the US if it drawdowns and said, “The conditions in Afghanistan – at the present moment – make American troop withdrawals a high risk strategy. If we continue on our present course we are setting in motion the loss of all our gains and paving the way toward a second 9/11.”