U.S. plans for more than 5,000 troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan

U.S. plans for more than 5,000 troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan

News:

U.S. to withdraw more than 5000 troops from Afghanistan.

Important Facts:

US war in Afghanistan:

• The war in Afghanistan began in October 2001 with the goal of defeating Al Qaeda and removing the Taliban government, which allowed the terror group led by Osama bin Laden to operate freely within its territory and ultimately launch the September 11 attacks.
• While the Taliban was quickly removed from power by the U.S.-led coalition, many of its members survived the initial invasion and started an insurgency targeting coalition forces and the fledgling Afghan government in the years after 2001.

Who Are Taliban:

• The Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. They aim to establish an Islamic caliphate, an anti democratic form of government in which women have few rights.
• The American military action removed them from power, but they were not completely eliminated. The group has regained strength and continues to control as much as 40 percent of the territory in the country, and many analysts would argue even more

Recent Development:

• In 2014, the Pentagon declared an end to American combat operations. But since then, a smaller number of troops have remained to train Afghan forces and carry out counterterror operations against groups like the Islamic State.
• Also, since 2015, the Taliban insurgency has stepped up in intensity and terror groups such as ISIS and the Haqqani network have been increasingly active in Afghanistan.
• With newly elected President Donald Trump, the U.S. has adopted a more aggressive strategy in Afghanistan — increasing troop levels to about 16,000 personnel.
• S. officials are currently engaged in talks with the Taliban, who now control a significant amount of territory.
• Now, American airstrikes are the heaviest they’ve been since the height of the war, when American troop levels in Afghanistan peaked at about 100,000. But very recently, President Trump said the United States planning to withdraw about half of its remaining 14,000 troops.

Consequences:

• More than 2,400 U.S. forces have died in the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan, and officials have repeatedly warned that a precipitous exit would allow militants to develop new plots on America.
• A US withdrawal – with or without a negotiated end to the war – could lead to more instability in Afghanistan