The number of American troops in Afghanistan will be down to 4,000-5,000 by Election Day which is scheduled for November 3, US President Donald Trump has said.
The US has reduced its troop presence in Afghanistan to 8,600 as part of a deal with the Taliban signed in February. The deal requires the US to fully withdraw its forces by next May, if conditions permit.
Trump has been eager for a full US withdrawal from Afghanistan, asserting that US military role in the country has basically turned into a police force.
“We will be down in a very short period of time to 8,000. Then, we are going to be down to 4,000. We are negotiating right now. We have been there for 19 years,” Trump said in an interview with “Axios on HBO.”
