5 July 2019

U.S. Troops in Afghanistan Down Nearly Half as Trump Quietly Reduces Forces

by Kathy Gannon and Amir Shah 

A surprise announcement by President Donald Trump seemed to accelerate the expected time frame for U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan ahead of an all-Afghan peace summit planned for July 7-8 in Qatar. The gathering apparently will be held on Taliban terms as there will be no official Afghan government representation.

Trump told Fox News Channel's Tucker Carlson Tonight on Monday that nearly half of all American troops have already been pulled out.

That pullout was expected to be announced as part of a time frame being negotiated by Washington's peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who is in the middle of talks with the Taliban in Qatar…

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