President Trump expected to withdraw troops from Africa and the Middle East

By Maia Irvin 

On Monday, officials reported that President Trump is expected to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia before his presidential term is over in January, according to news sources. 

The number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan would be halved, according to a draft order at the Pentagon, The New York Times reported. The Times also reported that the U.S. would withdraw almost all of the over 700 U.S. troops in Somalia. 

Currently, there are 4,500 to 5,000 troops in Afghanistan and over 3,000 troops in Iraq, according to AP News. 

National security officials said that withdrawing from these countries could have drastic effects, the Times reported. Republican leaders warned that a hasty exit from Afghanistan could disturb the peace process and current counterterrorism efforts, AP reported. 

However, others have said that it is time for the U.S. to withdraw from these countries. 

"We met the challenge; we gave it our all," Christopher Miller, Trump's new Pentagon chief, said, AP reported. "Now, it's time to come home."

These plans reflect Trump's desire to end the costs that the U.S. is enduring from military engagements against Islamist insurgencies in Africa and the Middle East, according to the Times. 


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