Troop cuts not tied to deal with Taliban: Esper

KABUL.

“I feel confident that we could reduce our numbers in Afghanistan and still ensure that place doesn’t become a safe haven for terrorists who could attack the United States,” he said.

In an interview with Reuters, the defence secretary said US allies had also agreed that troop levels in the war-torn country could be reduced.

In response to a question, Esper said such reductions would not be necessarily tied to an agreement with the Taliban.

In addition to thousands of troops from other NATO countries, about 13,000 US service members are currently stationed in Afghanistan. 

Esper’s remarks come days after President Donald Trump’s surprise trip to Afghanistan last week, when he spoke of potential troop cuts.

Esper said the Trump administration had been discussing possible cuts in troop levels for some time — both internally and with US allies.

“I feel confident that we could reduce our numbers in Afghanistan and still ensure that place doesn’t become a safe haven for terrorists,” Esper said.

sa/mud

Views: 0