Donald Trump Considers Afghanistan and Iraq Troop Withdrawals

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a sharply worded warning on the floor of the Senate against plans being drafted by the Trump administration to withdraw forces from Afghanistan, comparing a rapid pull out to “the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975”

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) November 16, 2020

MCCONNELL on Senate floor: “A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight — delight — the people who wish us harm. Violence affecting Afghans is still rampant. The Taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal.”

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) November 16, 2020

MCCONNELL con’t: “The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled — fueled — the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism.”

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) November 16, 2020

MCCONNELL: “We’d be abandoning our partners in Afghanistan, the brave Afghans who are fighting the terrorists and destroying the government’s leverage in their talks with the Taliban, designed to end the fighting.”

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) November 16, 2020

MCCONNELL said an American retreat would “embolden the Taliban, especially the deadly Haqqani wing,” and risk the rights of Afghan women.

“It would hand a weakened and scattered Al Qaeda a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against America”

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) November 16, 2020

MCCONNELL: “…The spectacle of U.S. troops abandoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in Afghanistan to the Taliban and Isis, would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of U.S. defeat and humiliation and of victory for Islamic extremism.”

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) November 16, 2020

MCCONNELL said President Trump deserves credit for reducing US forces in Afghanistan to a sustainable level and scoring victories against terrorism.

“That same successful approach should continue until the conditions for long term defeat of Isis and Al Qaeda have been achieved”

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) November 16, 2020

I was 20 years old when George W. Bush invaded Afghanistan. I’m about to turn 40 years old. I have a 6 year old son. We wouldn’t want to withdraw the troops prematurely from Afghanistan!

Politico:

“The White House has told the Pentagon to begin planning to bring the troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq down to 2,500 each by Jan. 15, just days before President Donald Trump leaves office, according to a defense official.

The news comes one week after Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper in part for pushing back on Trump’s efforts to accelerate the Afghanistan drawdown against the advice of military commanders, POLITICO reported, setting off a purge of top Pentagon officials last week.

The Pentagon’s new leaders, including acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, who most recently served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, are seen as less resistant to the acceleration. Miller on Wednesday brought on retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, an outspoken critic of the war in Afghanistan, as a senior adviser.

News of the Pentagon order was first reported by CNN. …”

Politico:

“Congressional Republicans on Monday slammed President Donald Trump’s plan for a swift reduction of U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, warning that it would be a gift to America’s enemies and would undermine progress already made in the region.

“A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight the people who wish us harm,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said bluntly.

The Kentucky Republican’s remarks came as POLITICO reported that the White House has instructed the Pentagon to begin planning for a significant drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. A defense official told POLITICO that under the proposal, just 2,500 American troops would remain in each country by Jan. 15, just five days before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Currently, there are between 4,500 and 5,000 troops in Afghanistan and around 3,000 in Iraq.

Other Republicans agreed with McConnell on Monday.

“The concern would be it would turn into a Saigon-type of situation where it would fall very quickly and then our ability to conduct operations against terrorist elements in the region could be compromised,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee …”

Why wasn’t this done before the election?

Doing popular things that resonate in the Center of the electorate like student loan debt cancellation and withdrawing from stupid endless wars are how you build political support.

Why didn’t Trump completely withdraw the troops from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan years ago? He had a mandate to do it in 2016. I guess it doesn’t matter now. He has nothing to lose anymore. As for the GOP, it is shit as always. If it was up to Mitch McConnell, we would be Afghanistan for another 20 years.