Dec 22, 2018

Afghans, diplomats surprised by report of Trump plan to pull out troops

Afghans, diplomats surprised by report of Trump plan to pull out troopsAlthough there has been increasing acceptance in Kabul that U.S. President Donald Trump was impatient for progress in ending the 17-year war, comment from a U.S. official that he was planning to withdraw at least 5,000 troops, coupled with the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, came as a surprise. Mattis has been widely seen in Afghanistan as a guarantor of U.S. engagement, and his departure would inevitability raise worries in the minds of many Afghan officials. The news followed a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi between U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives at which the two sides discussed the withdrawal of international forces and a ceasefire in 2019.




from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2EEngQQ

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