National Security

US scaling back plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

By Diana Stancy Correll

Published January 8, 2019 8:57pm ET

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US scaling back plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan — NIMROZ PROVINCE, Afghanistan (July 9, 2018) - A U.S. Marine with Task Force Southwest stands post during an expeditionary advisory package at forward operating base (FOB) Delaram. U.S. Marines spent approximately one week at FOB Delaram to conduct security meetings with key leaders from Nimroz province and to develop rapport and advise their Afghan National Defense & Security Forces counterparts. | (U.S. Marine Corps)

The U.S. military is developing a plan to withdraw about half the number of troops from Afghanistan than was initially expected when President Trump announced a major withdrawal last month.

Although Trump originally instructed the Pentagon to develop plans to pull out approximately 7,000 of the 14,000 troops in Afghanistan, two White House officials predict the withdrawal will only involve half of the 7,000 troops Trump first requested in December, the Washington Post reported.

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Afghanistan ISIS Jim Mattis John Bolton Pentagon Syria Taliban War in Afghanistan