{"id":48288,"date":"2019-12-18T23:35:01","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T23:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/12\/18\/esper-wants-to-move-troops-from-afghanistan-to-the-indo-pacific-to-confront-china\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:48:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:48:40","slug":"esper-wants-to-move-troops-from-afghanistan-to-the-indo-pacific-to-confront-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/12\/18\/esper-wants-to-move-troops-from-afghanistan-to-the-indo-pacific-to-confront-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Esper wants to move troops from Afghanistan to the Indo-Pacific to confront China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While an announcement of a drawdown of several thousand American troops from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/12\/09\/afghanistan-war-metrics-were-manipulated-to-highlight-battlefield-success-according-to-bombshell-wapo-report\/\" target=\"_blank\">Afghanistan<\/a> is expected soon from the White House, the secretary of defense wants to redeploy those forces to the Indo-Pacific region to confront China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are currently 13,000 U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan. During a Monday visit to Kabul, Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/12\/16\/in-afghanistan-sen-graham-says-us-troop-drawdown-coming\/\" target=_blank>Lindsey Graham<\/a>, R-S.C., said President Donald Trump may soon announce a decision to reduce the American footprint in Afghanistan to as low as 8,600 troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters Monday that he has not yet issued any orders to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, but he explained that a reduced footprint with or without a settled peace agreement with the Taliban was still a possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would like to go down to a lower number because I want to either bring those troops home, so they can refit and retrain for other missions or\/and be redeployed to the Indo-Pacific to face off our greatest challenge in terms of the great power competition that\u2019s vis-a-vis China,\u201d Esper said Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper said he believes the U.S. can reduce the number of troops because the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan Army Gen. Austin Miller says he can conduct both the counterterrorism and advising mission in Afghanistan with fewer troops.<\/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\/flashpoints\/2019\/12\/11\/airstrikes-called-in-as-taliban-attempt-to-breach-bagram-air-base\/\" 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\/A-10s_Afghanistan_11-13-19.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\">Airstrikes called in as Taliban attempt to breach Bagram Air Base<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">U.S. and Afghan forces were pulled into a nearly nine to 10 hour firefight after a suicide bombing targeted a medical facility that was under construction near the base, a source on the ground detailed to Military Times.<\/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\">\u201cWe\u2019ll just take this a day at a time and see how things play out in the coming weeks,\u201d Esper said. \u201cThis is a conversation that has to be had between me and the secretary of state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawmakers on Capitol Hill expressed concern Dec. 11 during a House Armed Services Committee Hearing on Syria that the DoD\u2019s focus on Iran and the U.S. Central Command area of operations was sapping resources and attention to rising near-peers and China in the Indo-Pacific region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican Wisconsin Rep. Michael Gallagher told Esper during the the Dec. 11 hearing that in a \u201cresource constrained environment\u201d the U.S. needs to make choices and \u201cIndo-Pacom [U.S. Indo-Pacific Command] should be the priority.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ll have to assume risk,\u201d Gallagher said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper responded to Gallagher\u2019s concern about the need to focus on China and the Pacific and explained that if he \u201chad to pour concrete in some locations\u201d he would rather \u201cprioritize\u201d Indo-Pacom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper has oft said that China is the Pentagon\u2019s number one priority as outlined in the National Defense Strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But analysts and national security experts have criticized the Pentagon\u2019s inability to pull itself out of Middle East quagmires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the U.S. is considering withdrawing troops in Afghanistan, it has deployed 14,000 additional troops over the last six months to the Middle East to confront Iranian malign behaviors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper has hinted that the Pentagon is considering sending more troops to deter Iran in the wake of rocket strikes on American bases in Iraq and attacks on commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf that bear Tehran\u2019s fingerprints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. also says Iran is culpable for the September attacks that damaged two Saudi Arabian oil fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Pentagon can\u2019t seem to shed missions and requirements to better focus on great powers \u2014 especially China,\u201d Mackenzie Eaglen, a resident fellow for the American Enterprise Institute, previously wrote in an opinion column for <a href=\"https:\/\/warontherocks.com\/2019\/10\/just-say-no-the-pentagon-needs-to-drop-the-distractions-and-move-great-power-competition-beyond-lip-service\/\" target=_blank>War on the Rocks<\/a> about near-peer challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor example, the military is building back up in the Middle East to deter Iran (not a great power by any definition), negating the benefits of a modest troop withdrawal in Syria,\u201d Eaglen wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has long touted his desire to end America\u2019s war in Afghanistan. During a surprise Thanksgiving Day visit to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, Trump touted recent success against ISIS militants in the country and announced that peace negotiations with the Taliban had been restarted.<\/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\/flashpoints\/2019\/12\/04\/isis-is-taking-a-beating-in-afghanistan-setting-the-stage-for-us-troop-withdrawal\/\" 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\/4175598.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\">ISIS is taking a beating in Afghanistan setting the stage for potential US troop withdrawal<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">ISIS is down to a few hundred fighters in Afghanistan following sustained operations by U.S. and Afghan forces and even Taliban fighters.<\/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\">Peace talks with the Taliban resumed on Dec. 7 following a brief suspension in September. Trump ended the talks in September following a Taliban-claimed attack that killed a U.S. service member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following a brazen but failed attempt to storm Bagram on Dec. 11, Trump\u2019s envoy leading peace negotiations with the Taliban Zalmay Khalilzad said peace talks were taking a brief pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I met the Talibs today, I expressed outrage about yesterday\u2019s attack on Bagram, which recklessly killed two and wounded dozens of civilians. #Taliban must show they are willing &amp; able to respond to Afghan desire for peace,\u201d Khalilzad<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/US4AfghanPeace\/status\/1205272370614812675?s=20\" target=_blank> tweeted<\/a> on Dec. 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Khalilzad said Wednesday that he just wrapped up two days of consultations in Kabul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re approaching an important stage in the #AfghanPeaceProcess. Wrapped up two days of consultations in #Kabul. Productive trip,\u201d he tweeted Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. is amid one of its most intense bombing campaigns since the start of the 18-year long war. According to U.S. Air Forces Central Command, U.S. aircraft have released 6,727 munitions as of the end of November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2018, the U.S. dropped nearly 7,400 bombs, according to AFCENT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Met w\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USAmbKabul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@USAmbKabul<\/a> Bass and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ResoluteSupport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ResoluteSupport<\/a> General Miller. Together we consulted Pres <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ashrafghani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ashrafghani<\/a>, CE <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DrabdullahCE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DrabdullahCE<\/a>, ex-Pres <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/KarzaiH?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@KarzaiH<\/a>, women activists, and other political leaders. We discussed efforts to achieve reduced violence and pave the way to intra-Afghan negotiations. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CHEDbMWYzi\">pic.twitter.com\/CHEDbMWYzi<\/a><\/p>&mdash; US4AfghanPeace (@US4AfghanPeace) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/US4AfghanPeace\/status\/1207382449694617603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 18, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI would like to go down to a lower number because I want to either bring those troops home, so they can refit and retrain for other missions or\/and be redeployed to the Indo-Pacific to face off our greatest challenge in terms of the great power competition that\u2019s vis-a-vis China.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":86002,"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":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,23,89,12,26,62],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3399],"class_list":["post-48288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"E64S7RIOVVB5JCZWXSD6V2EUH4","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2019\/12\/18\/esper-wants-to-move-troops-from-afghanistan-to-the-indo-pacific-to-confront-china\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Esper wants to move troops from Afghanistan to the Indo-Pacific to confront China - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cI would like to go down to a lower number because I want to either bring those troops home, so they can refit and retrain for other missions or\/and be redeployed to the Indo-Pacific to face off our greatest challenge in terms of the great power competition that\u2019s vis-a-vis China.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Esper wants to move troops from Afghanistan to the Indo-Pacific to confront China\" \/>\n<meta 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