JEDDAH: The US will pull almost half its troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan by November, the American military commander for the Middle East said on Wednesday.
Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, said the reduction in Iraq from 5,200 troops to 3,000 reflected the Trump administration’s confidence in the ability of Iraqi security forces to handle the militant threat from Daesh.
In Afghanistan, the US reduced its presence to 8,600 troops in June, and it will now drop to 4,500 by November.
Speaking in Iraq on Wednesday, McKenzie said the US could continue supporting the Iraqi military in its fight against Daesh, but said the “ultimate goal” was an Iraq where local forces by themselves could prevent the extremists from returning. The remaining US troops would continue advising and assisting Iraqi security forces as they attempt to root out remnants of Daesh.
“The US decision is a clear demonstration of our continued commitment to the ultimate goal, which is an Iraqi security force that is capable of preventing a Daesh resurgence and of securing Iraq’s sovereignty without external assistance. The journey has been difficult, the sacrifice has been great, but the progress has been significant,” he said.
US troops invaded Iraq in 2003 and left in 2011, but returned in 2014 after Daesh overran large parts of Iraq. Although US President Donald Trump has talked of withdrawing completely from Iraq, Pentagon officials have cautioned that a US troop presence remains necessary to guard against a Daesh resurgence and to help the Iraqi government limit the political and military influence of Iran, which supports militias operating inside Iraq.
The pullout will take the US presence in Iraq to its lowest level since President Barack Obama cut troops to a token force in 2011. Obama was forced to reverse course by the rise of Daesh, taking the number of troops inside Iraq back over 5,000 as part of an international coalition to combat the militants.
US forces have been in Afghanistan since 2001 when they invaded in response to the 9/11 attacks by Al-Qaeda, for whom Afghanistan was a haven under Taliban rule. The US-led invasion quickly toppled the Taliban from power, but the ensuing conflict dragged on far longer than expected.
In June, McKenzie said the number of US troops in Afghanistan had dropped to 8,600, the level the US agreed to in a February peace deal with the Taliban that also calls on the US to withdraw entirely by next spring.
McKenzie said in recent weeks that he had doubts about a full withdrawal because of questions about the Taliban’s continued relationship with Al-Qaeda and high levels of violence in Afghanistan.
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US to pull half its troops out of Iraq, Afghanistan by November
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US to pull half its troops out of Iraq, Afghanistan by November
- The United States has around 5,200 troops that were deployed in Iraq to fight Daesh
- Iraq's parliament had voted earlier this year for the departure of foreign troops from Iraq
Sudan paramilitary advances near Ethiopia border
KHARTOUM: Sudanese paramilitary forces have advanced on army positions near the southeastern border with Ethiopia, according to the group and an eyewitness who spoke to AFP Wednesday.
Control over Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile State, bordering both Ethiopia and South Sudan, is split between the army and a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, allies of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
In a statement released Tuesday, the SPLM-N, led by Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, said they had “liberated the strategic city of Deim Mansour and areas of Bashir Nuqu and Khor Al-Budi.”
Since April 2023, the Sudanese army has been at war with the RSF. In February of last year, the RSF announced a surprise alliance with the SPLM-N, securing experienced fighters, land and border access.
Deim Mansour lies between the SPLM-N stronghold Yabus, birthplace of their deputy commander Joseph Tuka, and the army-held town of Kurmuk, which hosts a large army contingent.
Babiker Khaled, who fled to Kurmuk, told AFP that SPLM-N fighters began amassing in the forests around Deim Mansour on Sunday.
“The shelling began on Monday, they entered the city on Tuesday,” he said, adding that “some people fled into Ethiopia, others arrived in Kurmuk.”
From its foothold in the southern Blue Nile, a thin strip of land jutting south between Ethiopia and South Sudan, the SPLM-N maintains reported supply lines from both countries, building on decades-old links.
Close to three years of war in Sudan have left tens of thousands dead and around 11 million displaced, creating the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
It has also torn the country apart, with the army holding the center, north and east of Sudan while the RSF and its allies dominate the west and parts of the south.
Sudan’s Kordofan region, where the SPLM-N has its other foothold in the Nuba Mountains, is currently the war’s fiercest battleground.
On Tuesday, the army broke a paramilitary siege on South Kordofan state capital Kadugli, days after breaking another on the nearby city of Dilling.
Control over Sudan’s southeastern Blue Nile State, bordering both Ethiopia and South Sudan, is split between the army and a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, allies of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
In a statement released Tuesday, the SPLM-N, led by Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, said they had “liberated the strategic city of Deim Mansour and areas of Bashir Nuqu and Khor Al-Budi.”
Since April 2023, the Sudanese army has been at war with the RSF. In February of last year, the RSF announced a surprise alliance with the SPLM-N, securing experienced fighters, land and border access.
Deim Mansour lies between the SPLM-N stronghold Yabus, birthplace of their deputy commander Joseph Tuka, and the army-held town of Kurmuk, which hosts a large army contingent.
Babiker Khaled, who fled to Kurmuk, told AFP that SPLM-N fighters began amassing in the forests around Deim Mansour on Sunday.
“The shelling began on Monday, they entered the city on Tuesday,” he said, adding that “some people fled into Ethiopia, others arrived in Kurmuk.”
From its foothold in the southern Blue Nile, a thin strip of land jutting south between Ethiopia and South Sudan, the SPLM-N maintains reported supply lines from both countries, building on decades-old links.
Close to three years of war in Sudan have left tens of thousands dead and around 11 million displaced, creating the world’s largest hunger and displacement crises.
It has also torn the country apart, with the army holding the center, north and east of Sudan while the RSF and its allies dominate the west and parts of the south.
Sudan’s Kordofan region, where the SPLM-N has its other foothold in the Nuba Mountains, is currently the war’s fiercest battleground.
On Tuesday, the army broke a paramilitary siege on South Kordofan state capital Kadugli, days after breaking another on the nearby city of Dilling.
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