US President Donald Trump will withdraw a large contingent of US troops from Afghanistan, US officials told media outlets on Thursday.

There are 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, thousands of whom will be withdrawn, officials told AFP and Reuters news agencies. The Wall Street Journal reported that more than 7,000 troops would be removed.

"That decision has been made. There will be a significant withdrawal," an official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Read more: Mattis' exit leaves Donald Trump surrounded by yes-men

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Fragile security Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan A long series of attacks The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Spring offensive In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Trump's Afghanistan policy US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Afghan peace process Despite President Ghani's offer in February 2018 for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy."

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Pakistani support Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan Role of the warlords Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.

Endless battle for power in Afghanistan An inefficient government In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism. Author: Shamil Shams



Shortly after two unnamed officials spoke to Reuters about bringing troops home from Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced he was resigning.

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'Too early to say anything'

In remarks carried by the Reuters news agency, a senior Afghan government official said such a withdrawal would "certainly affect overall operations" but that it would first have to be seen which units would depart first.

"It is too early to say anything for now," he said. "Depending on how the Taliban react, the government might ask forces to reduce operations."

Haroon Chakansuri, spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, however said that the pullout would not impact on overall security because US forces had been in the country chiefly to give assistance and advice to Afghan troops.

Read more:More journalists killed globally in 2018, report says

'Early Christmas'

Some foreign diplomatic officials in Kabul are less upbeat than this, with one telling the news agency Agence France-Presse that "If you're the Taliban, Christmas has come early."

"Would you be thinking of a ceasefire if your main opponent has just withdrawn half their troops," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said declined to comment on reports of the pullout, but stressed the alliance's continued commitment to its support mission in Afghanistan.

"Earlier this month, NATO foreign ministers expressed steadfast commitment to ensuring long-term security and stability in Afghanistan. Our engagement is important to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for international terrorists who could threaten us at home," she said.

Some of the US forces deployed in Afghanistan are there as part of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission, which trains and advises local forces. Others are members of a US-led counterterrorism mission. Initial reports have not made it clear which soldiers would be the first to withdraw.

Read more: Afghanistan: Peace without women's rights?

17 years of conflict

The withdrawal of the troops from Syria and Afghanistan could have monumental repercussions for the region.

The decision runs counter to the advice of Trump's senior security and military advisers. It was only earlier this year that Trump committed thousands of new troops to Afghanistan, where the Taliban have made major gains and have been slaughtering local forces in the thousands. This decision could hamper peace efforts with the Taliban.

More than 2,400 US forces have died in the 17-year-old war. At least 100,000 Afghans have died in the conflict.

Read more: Civilian deaths hit record high in Afghanistan: UN

Watch video 01:36 Share Ongoing Afghanistan drought Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/37yMk Ongoing Afghanistan drought puts population at risk

tj,aw/ng (AFP, Reuters)

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