Trump seeks to step up pullout from Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): The outgoing US leader is trying to speed up withdrawals from Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia, a leading American newspaper reported on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump, following his defeat to Democratic runner Joe Biden in this month’s election, is set to leave the White House in January.

The New York Times, citing a draft order circulating at the Pentagon, said the number of US forces in Afghanistan would be halved from the current 4,500 troops to 2,250.

In Iraq, the newspaper said, the Pentagon would reduce force levels slightly below the 3,000 troops that commanders had previously announced.

Almost all of the more than US 700 troops conducting training and counterterrorism missions in Somalia would return home.

US military leaders expect a formal order from Trump this week to begin a further withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.

PAN Monitor/mud