US going for a troop reduction in Afghanistan

Nahla Abdelmonem

US Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, said on December 2 that any future troop drawdowns in Afghanistan were “not necessarily” linked to a deal with Taliban insurgents.

He suggested in an interview with Reuters that some lowering of force levels might happen irrespective of the ongoing peace push.

Esper said the Trump administration had been discussing potential reductions in troop levels for some time, both internally and with NATO allies.

There are currently about 13,000 US forces in Afghanistan as well as thousands of other NATO troops. US officials have said US forces could drop to 8,600 and still carry out an effective, core counter-terrorism mission as well as some limited advising for Afghan forces.

Expected troop reduction

A draft accord agreed in September before peace talks collapsed would have withdrawn thousands of American troops in exchange for guarantees that Afghanistan would not be used as a base for militant attacks on the United States or its allies.

Still, many US officials privately doubt the Taliban could be relied upon to prevent al Qaeda from again plotting attacks against the United States from Afghan soil.

Esper did not hint at any developments in the coming days or suggest that new troop drawdowns in Afghanistan might figure into NATO discussions this week.

“I don’t think there’s any ‘new’ news right now, if you will. We’ve been discussing this for quite some time,” Esper said, when asked if he would raise the issue in London.

About 2,400 US service members have been killed in the Afghan conflict and many thousands more wounded.

Logical possibilities

Understandings between the US and the Taliban are becoming very possible in the light of these remarks and the remarks made earlier by US President Donald Trump.

Nevertheless, Washington may not go for a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan. The US still does not have confidence in the radical organizations operating in that country and in the region as a whole.

The US is expected to maintain military presence in the region, even a low one. This is necessary if Washington will continue to be a match to its regional rivals, especially China and Iran.