US troop levels in Afghanistan continue to drop, with officials saying that they remain well ahead of schedule, but the Pentagon and the White House are offering conflicting figures on how many troops remain in the country.
The Pentagon says that the goal has been for 8,600 troops to be left in the country by mid-July, and they are so ahead of schedule they say they’ll meet that number in June, which is just a few days away. This suggests the figure is roughly already that.
The White House, by contrast, suggested that the US has somewhere in the realm of 7,000 troops left in Afghanistan, and that the level is set to drop even further. Since the US has made troop levels largely a secret, which is true is not always apparent.
Either way, the number of troops keeps declining, and at a rate where the US could be out of Afghanistan within less than a year if they keep up the pace. President Trump has denied having any specific date set, but others have reported the goal is to be out by the November election.
Leaving 8,600 troops in Afghanistan is not a withdrawal. It is still an occupation.
Stop with your pathetic thought crime… If the word withdrawal was used then that’s what it is…
Which schedule are they ahead of?