ASV Christopher Miller, appointed defense minister, signaled on Saturday that the withdrawal of American troops from Afghan and the Middle East, stating that “it is time to come home”.
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“All wars must end,” Miller, who was appointed Acting Secretary of Defense on Monday, told Miller in his first message to the armed forces.
19 years after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the United States is determined to defeat the network of international terrorist organizations, Al Qaeda, and they are on the verge of defeating this group.
“Many are tired of the war, and I am one of them,” Miller said in a message on the Department of Defense’s website on Saturday.
“However, this is a critical phase in which we move from a leadership role to a support role in our efforts.”
“Ending the war requires compromises and partnership. We have met the challenge, we have given it our all. Now is the time to come home.”
Miller did not mention specific countries, but the reference to Al Qaeda is, by all accounts, a reference to Iraq and Afghanistan, where US troops invaded after the 9/11 attacks.
Trump, who lost to Democrat Joe Biden in the November 3 elections, has advocated for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq throughout his presidency.
If Trump stops at this idea, he must implement it within the next 67 days before Biden takes office.
Former US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has reduced the number of US troops in Afghanistan by almost two-thirds as the US-Taliban peace agreement approaches on 29 February.
However, Espers insisted that he retain 4,500 troops in Afghanistan after this month to ensure that the Taliban honor their commitment to reduce violence while talks with the Kabul government.
However, Trumps sought to reduce the contingent even further, stating, among other things, that he wanted the soldiers to be home by Christmas.
Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, has said the goal is to reduce the number of troops to 2,500 by February.
Trump announced on Twitter on Monday that he was dismissing Minister of Defense Esper and Miller, the director of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, who had been appointed acting.
Espera’s position in the White House had been unstable for several months, especially after his statement in June that he did not support the use of active-duty soldiers to suppress widespread protests following the death of George Floid.
Espers also stated that the use of military force in a law enforcement role should be a last resort.
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