Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) warned against a withdrawal from Afghanistan on Monday amidst reports that say the Pentagon is planning for a drawdown in the country.
McConnell, a staunch ally of President Trump, was careful to praise the administration’s foreign policy record before slamming the idea of an Afghanistan withdrawal. “A rapid withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight the people who wish us harm,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.
McConnell went through the typical talking points for arguments against the US ending the 19-year-old war. He said a US withdrawal would “embolden the Taliban,” hand al-Qaeda a “propaganda victory,” and would be “welcome news” to Iran.
President Trump’s Pentagon shake-up stirred rumors of a possible full withdrawal from Afghanistan before Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20th. But reports that came out Monday suggest that the administration will only complete a partial withdrawal.
According to sources speaking to CNN, the Pentagon has received an order to bring troop numbers down to 2,500 in Afghanistan and Iraq by January 15th. There are currently about 4,500 US soldiers in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Iraq.
Send the turtle-faced bastard to Afghanistan then. He can hold down the fort.
This is the guy Trump had to make deals with to beat Democratic impeachment.
Good he’s showing his true colours. Bad that McConnel is coming with war colours just before the Georgia overtime Senate elections.
To Hell with the Senate. Bring the troops home, full withdrawal.
Trump has been tip toeing around and done far less than he could as a result. It’s now, or the future belongs to left wing populists. They might have won already regardless. Why wont Trump issue pardons for Assange and Snowden? Obama already won credit for Manning. Trump needs to *win*.
If Trump thought he was pissing off the right people, he’d probably pardon Assange and Snowden. It’s not like he actually cares about either unless it can further his personal agenda. He sold out Assange and he suggested execution for Snowden.
Yeah, true. However, Trump was stuck on the idea he’s a political dealmaker overseeing a functional democratic republic. For all Trump’s tough talk, he governed as a moderate centre-right President.
If McConnel let Trump’s impeachment stand, there was no guarantee the remaining Trump Administration could conclude the withdrawals. Its obvious that Esper and other Pentagon top brass were never on side. Pompeo, though, might have been flexible enough to concede to a pullout, in exchange for massive re-armament.
Pardons for the whistleblowers… who knows. Yes they should be pardoned. But if being pardoned just gets them killed out of Deep State spite, there’s not much point.
Anyone who can put “rapid withdrawal” and “Afghanistan” in the same sentence is not serious … 19 years … If not now, when?
But, at this stage, what would the prez be afraid of?
The Taliban holds most of the territory already. Bring in Pakistan, and exit.
What a liar. Truth is his stock in defense contractors would go down, along with the campaign money they give him.
A partial withdrawal is not a propaganda win for al qaeda. Going bankrupt in Afghanistan and then being fully driven out is a propaganda win for them.
The US cannot afford these wars.
At least Biden’s illegal debt relief helps Americans. The wars help almost no Americans.
and just who are the “allies” of our in Afghanistan. I wonder if he was against the Soviets getting out of Afghanistan when they hurt THEIR allies?