President Trump has not ordered troops withdrawal from Afghanistan: White House

Washington – ‘President Donald Trump has not considered the military withdrawal from Afghanistan,’ the White House declared. A few leading media houses in the United States had published news that reported President Trump of having questioned the long-drawn war on terror in Afghanistan and having ordered the withdrawal of US troops from the country. However, the White House denied any such happenings and had criticised the media for “fake news”.

The US President had announced a military withdrawal from Syria on the social media. After that, the Bloomberg news agency had reported that President Trump had issued orders to the Pentagon to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan on an immediate basis as well. The news agency had alleged that Trump ordered the withdrawal of 7,000 soldiers from the 14,000 currently deployed in Afghanistan.

Various other news agencies also had published reports on the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan. The media had referred to the sources being officials from the Trump administration and the Pentagon. Additionally, the press had claimed that the decision for the military withdrawal from Afghanistan was the reason behind the resignation of the Secretary of Defense, James Mattis. The US Congress had heavily criticised Trump over the decision as well. Nevertheless, the White House reprimanded Bloomberg in an email sent on Saturday over the report published on the military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Garrett Marquis, the National Security Council Spokesman, lashed out at the news agency saying, ‘President Trump has not taken any decision regarding the reduction in the military deployment in Afghanistan. He has not ordered the Department of Defense to recall any of the soldiers from the country either.’ Previously, General Scott Miller, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan had also stated that no instructions were issued for the military withdrawal from Afghanistan so far.

“If the war on terror in Afghanistan is left mid-way, it may help terrorists stage another 9/11-style attack,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford had earlier warned. President Trump too had intensified the drone and fighter jet attacks against the Taliban. Nevertheless, he supported the Afghanistan government’s initiative for peace talks with the separatist groups from the Taliban. The US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad held discussions even with senior commanders of Taliban in this regard.

Analysts claim that the United States would ignore reports of military withdrawal and achieve its objectives but would never take the decision to withdraw forces from Afghanistan. They say that the US was trying to accomplish many objectives by maintaining control over the country simultaneously. Moreover, the analysts point out that the military deployment in Afghanistan, the country which shares its borders with Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan, was critical to safeguarding the interests of the United States.

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