KABUL – The top US commander in Afghanistan has not received orders to pullforces out of the war-torn country, NATO confirmed Monday, days afterPresident Donald Trump’s plan to withdraw 7,000 troops leaked to the media.
General Scott Miller’s remarks on Sunday capped a tumultuous few days forAfghanistan as foreign diplomats and Afghan officials digested thepossibility of the United States exiting the 17-year war it started and isnow leading efforts to end.
An American official told AFP late last week that Trump had decided to pullout “roughly half” of the 14,000 US forces in the country, but the WhiteHouse has so far not confirmed the widely-publicised move.
“I have no orders, so nothing has changed,” said Miller, who is also thetop NATO commander in Afghanistan, during a meeting with the governor ofthe eastern province of Nangarhar, according to Tolo News.
The remarks were confirmed by NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Kabul.
“But if I do get orders, I think it is important for you to know that weare still with the security forces. Even if I have to get a little bitsmaller, we will be okay,” Miller continued.
US troops make up the bulk of the Resolute Support mission to train andadvise local forces fighting the Taliban and the Islamic State group.
Others are part of a US-led counter-terrorism mission.
While there has been no official announcement of a US drawdown, the meresuggestion of the United States reducing its military presence has rattledthe Afghan capital.
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Trump’s decision apparently came Tuesday as US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzadmet with the Taliban in Abu Dhabi, part of efforts to bring the militantsto the negotiating table with Kabul.
The Taliban has not issued a formal statement on Trump’s plan, but a seniorcommander told AFP the group was “more than happy”.
There are fears the hasty move could undermine Khalilzad’s negotiatingposition, embolden the Taliban, and further erode morale among Afghanforces, which are suffering record losses.
Many Afghans are worried that President Ashraf Ghani’s fragile unitygovernment would collapse if US troops pulled out, enabling the Taliban toreturn to power and potentially sparking another bloody civil war.
A day after Miller’s remarks, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah MehmoodQureshi arrived in Kabul for the start of a four-nation tour to discuss,among other things, peace efforts in Afghanistan.
Qureshi, who had hailed Trump’s decision to slash troop numbers inAfghanistan as “a step forward” in the peace effort, will also visit Iran,China and Russia.- APP/AFP
