US announces plans to cut troop levels in Afghanistan, Iraq

United States President Donald Trump will sharply reduce the number of US forces in Afghanistan - from 4,500 to 2,500 - before he leaves office, the Pentagon has announced.
The Pentagon also outlined a modest withdrawal of US forces in Iraq that will reduce troop levels from 3,000 to 2,500.
Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller said about 2,000 troops would be pulled out of Afghanistan by January 15, and 500 more would return from Iraq, leaving 2,500 in each country.
The announcement came days after Trump fired Mark Esper as defence secretary as he had insisted on the need to maintain troop levels in Afghanistan to support the government in Kabul while it negotiates a peace deal with the Taliban.
The drawdown will have less of an impact in Iraq, Al Jazeera’s Simona Foltyn explained, citing the number of US troops in Iraq that “has gone down to 3,000 as of September this year”.
Here is her report.

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