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Esper raised concern over early US drawdown from Afghanistan: report
US former Defense Secretary, Mark Esper, in a memo to the White House expressed his concerns about early withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan before he was fired by President Donald Trump, the Washington Post reports, quoting senior officials.
This comes as president Trump seeks withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by Christmas.
According to the Washington post after consulting with senior military officers, Esper has sent a classified memo to the White House expressing concerns about additional cuts.
The Washington Post reports that “conditions on the ground were not yet right, Esper wrote, citing the ongoing violence, possible dangers to the remaining troops in the event of a rapid pullout, potential damage to alliances and apprehension about undercutting the negotiations.”
Colin Jackson, a senior Pentagon official told Washington Post, that he has advocated against a withdrawal now.
“We don’t have a single example where pulling the plug has gone well — Vietnam, Iraq,” he said, as quoted in the report. “Not one.”
One former senior White House official said it is not possible for the United States to remove all troops “without crushing the coalition there.”
“We can get down to maybe 4,500,” the official said. “But we cannot be at zero.”
US Sen. Rand Paul also stepped into the debate Wednesday.
“Reminder to those saying withdrawing troops may cause a ‘clash’ with Generals/Pentagon: there is only one Commander in Chief, it is Donald Trump and when he orders the troops out of Afghanistan, the only proper answer is ‘Yes sir,’ ” he tweeted.
On the other hand, Afghan analysts reacted to the Esper’s concerns and said that early poll out of US troops will be dangerous for Afghanistan and the region.
“The US should understands that international community can’t tolerate such irresponsible act. This will be dangerious for Afghanistan and the region,” said Tajuddin Milatmal, a political analyst.
However, Rahimullah Sirat Zadran, international relation analyst, said that US seek its interests.
“The US said that we work for our own interests, they do not work for Afghanistan and Afghans,” said Zadran.
Meanwhile, in a memo to the Defense Department workforce, Christopher C. Miller, acting secretary of defense described at length the respect he has for the institution and the sacrifices made by thousands of men and women who have deployed to the Middle East since the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Ending wars requires compromise and partnership. We met the challenge; we gave it our all. Now, it’s time to come home.” according to a mcclatchydc report quoting Christopher C. Miller, acting secretary of defense,
Pakistan on Friday summoned Afghan Deputy Head of Mission in Islamabad to convey “strong demarche” over a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan District that killed four Pakistani soldiers.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack was carried out by a faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement said that Pakistan conveyed “grave concern over the continued support and facilitation” provided by the Islamic Emirate to TTP.
Pakistan has demanded “a full investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the terrorist attacks launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil.”
It urged the Islamic Emirate “to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership, and deny the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
According to the statement, the Islamic Emirate has been “categorically informed that Pakistan reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens, and will take all necessary measures to respond to terrorism originating from Afghan soil.”
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are originated from Afghan soil, a charge the Islamic Emirate denies.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has underscored Afghanistan’s continued importance in regional cooperation, saying the country remains one of the key areas of interaction among regional partners.
Addressing the first summit of the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue, Mirziyoyev said participating countries share a common aspiration to see Afghanistan become peaceful, stable, and oriented toward meaningful development.
The Uzbek president praised Japan’s longstanding and consistent support for Afghanistan, noting that Tokyo has for many years been among the leading donors and partners assisting the Afghan people.
He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts and joint contributions by regional countries and Japan would help improve living standards in Afghanistan, advance socio-economic and infrastructure development, and facilitate the country’s active involvement in regional economic projects.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan announced on Friday that the country has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said it hopes the aid will help bring positive change to the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
According to the statement, the assistance will cover the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The embassy added that the aid will be delivered through United Nations agencies, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Japan’s total assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021 has reached more than $549 million.
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