White House refutes report regarding US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Published December 29, 2018
An official says the US president  has not directed the Department of Defense to begin the process of withdrawing US personnel from Afghanistan.— AFP/File
An official says the US president has not directed the Department of Defense to begin the process of withdrawing US personnel from Afghanistan.— AFP/File

The White House on Saturday refuted reports that US President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw almost half of American troops stationed in Afghanistan, Bloomberg reported.

Last week, reports had surfaced that Trump was planning to withdraw 7,000 troops from Afghanistan by the summer, with an American official telling AFP on condition of anonymity “that decision has been made. There will be a significant withdrawal."

Take a look: Taliban urge US to leave Afghanistan or face Soviet-style defeat

However, White House and US National Security Council spokesperson Garrett Marquis today rubbished those claims in an emailed statement, saying: “The president has not made a determination to drawdown United States (US) military presence in Afghanistan and he has not directed the Department of Defense to begin the process of withdrawing US personnel from Afghanistan.”

Marquis' statement was supported by General Scott Miller, the US commander of international forces in Afghanistan, who said that he had not received any orders to change troop levels in the country.

Trump's rumoured and retracted decision about Afghanistan came on the back of his announcement to pull out troops from Syria, where in his own words, America has “defeated ISIS”.

Opinion

Editorial

X post facto
Updated 19 Apr, 2024

X post facto

Our decision-makers should realise the harm they are causing.
Insufficient inquiry
19 Apr, 2024

Insufficient inquiry

UNLESS the state is honest about the mistakes its functionaries have made, we will be doomed to repeat our follies....
Melting glaciers
19 Apr, 2024

Melting glaciers

AFTER several rain-related deaths in KP in recent days, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority has sprung into...
IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...