{"id":25725,"date":"2021-01-15T11:28:10","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T11:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/15\/us-down-to-2500-troops-in-afghanistan-as-ordered-by-trump\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:21:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:21:31","slug":"us-down-to-2500-troops-in-afghanistan-as-ordered-by-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/01\/15\/us-down-to-2500-troops-in-afghanistan-as-ordered-by-trump\/","title":{"rendered":"US down to 2,500 troops each in Afghanistan and Iraq, as ordered by Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The U.S. military has met its goal of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 in each country by Friday<\/a>, the Pentagon announced Friday morning, though the reduction in Afghanistan appears to violate a last-minute congressional prohibition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drawdown in Afghanistan \u201cbrings U.S. forces in the country to their lowest levels since 2001,\u201d said acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller in a media release. \u201cThe drawdown of U.S. force levels in Iraq is reflective of the increased capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the Afghanistan drawdown, Miller said: \u201cToday, the United States is closer than ever to ending nearly two decades of war and welcoming in an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led peace process to achieve a political settlement and a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith a force of 2,500, commanders have what they need to keep America, our people and our interests safe,\u201d he said. \u201cWorking alongside our NATO allies and partners, the United States will continue to execute both our counterterrorism mission and the train, advise and assist mission in support of Afghan Security Forces working to secure peace in their country. Continued fulfillment of these two complementary missions seeks to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used to harbor those who seek to bring harm to the United States of America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Iraq, \u201c[w]e have long anticipated that the force level required to support Iraq\u2019s fight against ISIS would decrease as Iraq\u2019s capability to manage the threat from ISIS improves,\u201d said Miller. \u201cOur ability to reduce force levels is evidence of real progress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The force reduction in Iraq \u201cis consistent with Operation Inherent Resolve\u2019s transition from major combat operations and does not equate to a change in U.S. policy,\u201d Miller said. \u201cU.S. and Coalition forces remain in Iraq to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS. The Government of Iraq and the U.S. Government agree that ISIS remains a threat and that a U.S. and Coalition presence remains vital. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will still be \u201ca counterterrorism platform in Iraq to support partner forces with airpower and intelligence,\u201d said Miller. \u201cMost operations in Iraq were already being conducted by our Iraqi partners, enabled by U.S. and Coalition forces. We can continue to provide this support to our Iraqi partners at the reduced U.S. force level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, there have been more than 2,400 troops who died, and more than 20,000 wounded in support of operations in Afghanistan since 9\/11 and more than 4,500 troop deaths and more than 32,000 wounded in support of operations in Iraq, according to Pentagon statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Donald Trump, who ordered the reduction in November, said Thursday that troop levels in Afghanistan had reached a 19-year low, although he did not mention a troop number. Last February his administration struck a deal with the Taliban to reduce American troop levels in phases and to go to zero by May 2021, although it is unclear how the incoming Biden administration will proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President-elect Joe Biden, who has advocated keeping a small counterterrorism force in Afghanistan as a way to ensure that extremist groups like al-Qaida are unable to launch attacks on the United States, faces a number of questions on Afghanistan. One is how and whether to proceed with further troop cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump in his brief statement alluded to his longstanding desire to get out of Afghanistan entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI will always be committed to stopping the endless wars,\u201d he said, referring to U.S. wars that have dragged on in Afghanistan since 2001 and in Iraq for much of the period since 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although senior military officials had cautioned against speedy troop reductions in Afghanistan, Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller<\/a> announced on Nov. 17 that he was implementing Trump\u2019s order. As a result, military commanders scrambled to pull more than 1,500 troops out of the country in the last few weeks. At Trump\u2019s order, commanders also cut U.S. troop levels in Iraq to 2,500 from about 3,000 in the same period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Afghanistan decision was seen by some as unnecessarily complicating the decision-making of the incoming administration. Trump at the time had refused to acknowledge that he had lost the election and would be ceding to Biden on Jan. 20. Some in Congress, including fellow Republicans, opposed Trump\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\t