US Senate Majority Leader Warns Against 'Precipitous Drawdown' From Iraq, Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2020) US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a press conference on Tuesday warned against a steep withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Earlier on Tuesday, Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller announced plans to reduce by January 15 the number of US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to 2,500 in each country.

"I think it's extremely important here in the next couple of months not to have any earthshaking changes with regard to defense and foreign policy. I think a precipitous drawdown in either Afghanistan or Iraq would be a mistake. I have so said publicly yesterday, and I hope that's precisely where these discussions end up," McConnell said.

The Senate Majority Leader said on Monday that the "premature" withdrawal of US troops could have disastrous consequences.

Roughly 4,500 US armed forces personnel are currently stationed in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Iraq.