Literally one day after interim US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan
promised that there would be no drawdown of US forces from Afghanistan
without NATO approval, officials are telling reporters that a cut of 1,000, or even more, troops is about to be announced.
This cut in troops would be done is part of an “efficiency drive” that
the new commander wants to launch in Afghanistan. This would present it
as belt-tightening, not a military drawdown as part of a deescalation.
President Trump appears keen for a deescalation at any rate, given how
poorly the war is going, and is putting his backing behind the peace
talks with the Taliban, which if successful might lead to an outright
withdrawal.
Given how many hawks within the administration and Congress are opposed
to drawdowns on any terms, this might be an ideal alternative for
President Trump, who can make at least some troop cuts without having to
call them cuts.
US Expected to Pull 1,000 Troops From Afghanistan in ‘Efficiency Effort’
No deals on drawdown, efficiency may still serve as an excuse to cut levels
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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