{"id":46923,"date":"2018-12-21T01:45:30","date_gmt":"2018-12-21T01:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/21\/report-trump-eyes-major-withdrawal-of-troops-from-afghanistan\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:31:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:31:41","slug":"report-trump-eyes-major-withdrawal-of-troops-from-afghanistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2018\/12\/21\/report-trump-eyes-major-withdrawal-of-troops-from-afghanistan\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon withdrawing 7,000 troops from Afghanistan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 First Syria, now Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to withdraw thousands of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/12\/20\/trump-pulling-out-of-syria-might-afghanistan-be-next\/\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. troops from Afghanistan<\/a> in coming months, with an eye towards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/12\/04\/new-centcom-head-on-afghanistan-mission-i-dont-know-how-long-it-will-take\/\" target=\"_blank\">ending the 17-year deployment of American forces there<\/a>, a U.S. official confirmed to Military Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/trump-administration-is-considering-substantial-afghan-troop-drawdown-11545341452\" target=\"_blank\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a> first reported that more than 7,000 service members will begin returning from Afghanistan in coming weeks, per a White House order. The move comes just a day after Trump signaled plans to remove all U.S. forces from Syria, declaring that \u201cWe have won against ISIS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. official said there is no timeline set for the return of the troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The news also comes on the same day as the announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/12\/20\/read-defense-secretary-mattis-resignation-letter\/\" target=_blank>resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis<\/a>, who said he is leaving the administration so Trump can find a military leader \u201cwhose views are better aligned with yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The withdrawal announcement also comes amid news first reported by Military Times that Erik Prince\u2019s former security contractor firm, Blackwater USA, had announced its return. Prince has lobbied the Trump administration since the president took office to privatize the war in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2018\/12\/21\/mattis-is-out-and-blackwater-is-back-we-are-coming\/\">\u201cWe are coming,\u201d<\/a> a full-page ad in the January\/February 2019 issue of \u201cRecoil\u201d gun and hunting magazine announces.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/12\/20\/mattis-out-defense-secretary-says-his-views-no-longer-aligned-with-trump\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"203\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ARM-Mattis-resigns-3.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Mattis out: Defense secretary says his views no longer aligned with Trump<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will retire &quot;with distinction,&quot; President Trump tweeted Thursday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mattis referenced several conflicts with Trump in his resignation letter, including Trump\u2019s lack of support for American alliances in the Middle East and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like the Syria withdrawal, the rapid reduction in U.S. forces in Afghanistan represents an abrupt reversal of previous administration policies. Earlier this month, Mattis said the president and the country were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/12\/01\/mattis-sees-progress-in-afghanistan-but-no-plans-for-troop-drawdowns\/\" target=_blank>\u201cstill committed to this effort\u201d<\/a> and the Taliban still posed a formidable threat in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18315371804255.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18315371804255.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18315371804255.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18315371804255.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18315371804255.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this Oct. 31, 2018, photo, a group of Afghan National Army soldiers watch others participate in a live fire exercise at the Afghan Military Academy, in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Rahmat Gul\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last month, in a nomination hearing to take over U.S. Central Command, Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., the nominee to lead CENTCOM, said terrorist groups in the country still represented a credible threat to the American homeland. He added that despite years of training from coalition troops, local security forces still did not have the ability to defend the Afghan government without assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey\u2019re not there yet,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we left precipitously right now, they would not be able to successfully defend their country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/12\/20\/lawmakers-baffled-by-trumps-decision-to-pull-troops-out-of-syria\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4872629.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Lawmakers tell Trump his decision to pull troops out of Syria is a \u2018costly mistake\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Both Republicans and Democrats criticized the move, saying it ignores advice from military and intelligence leaders.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign promised less U.S. military intervention overseas, but after he took office increased the U.S. presence in both the Middle East and Afghanistan upon the advice of his military commanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 7,000-service member cut would roughly half the U.S. military footprint in Afghanistan today. Troops are serving in training and support roles, with less direct contact with enemy fighters.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2018\/11\/01\/this-is-not-going-to-be-won-militarily-top-us-commander-in-afghanistan-reveals-pessimism\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18245290979076.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">\u2018This is not going to be won militarily\u2019: Top US commander in Afghanistan reveals pessimism<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The U.S.-backed Afghan government&#039;s control over territory is slipping, according to a new report.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, this year has proven to be deadly for American troops in the country. At least 14 since the start of the year. More than 2,400 U.S. military personnel have died since the initial invasion of American forces in 2001.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The president is moving to cut in half the number of troops deployed there, a step towards ending the 17-year-old war.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":100623,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[8,160,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3424,3493],"class_list":["post-46923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"R37UZWTM2JA6XMD4HLJUJU4LQQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/12\/21\/report-trump-eyes-major-withdrawal-of-troops-from-afghanistan\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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