In an unexpected move and a decision that is likely to have more adverse effects than positive outcomes, United States President Donald trump ordered the withdrawal of around 7,000 army personnel from war-stricken Afghanistan.
Trump demanded that 50 percent of a total of 15,000 U.S troops be brought home over the next two months. CNN reported that the President had even ordered ¡°full¡± and ¡°rapid¡± withdrawal of U.S military in Syria where a war against militant outfit ISIS had been going on since 2011.
He made this decision saying that the superpower had defeated ISIS in Syria- the only reason why Trump was there for the presidency. America has had the longest battle with Afghanistan where it had deployed its troops for almost 17 years.
However, the decision hasn't gone down well even with allies of Trump as they feel that this has thrown both war stricken nations under the bus. The move is now expected to pave the return of Taliban and other Pakistani terrorist organisations. Not only this but even India's security is now at stake since it endangers Indian presence, investment and stakes in the country.
The decision surprised foreign allies, lawmakers inviting criticism and wrath. Senator Lindsey Graham seemed utterly disappointed as he rebuked Trump's decision in a series of tweets. Graham said according to all the available information thousands of ISIS still remain and are lethal in Syria. He further added that the American administration hasn't still decided how will it answer its Kurdish allies which have fought so hard for U.S even after they have left.
He questioned if America had any plan ready to protect its allies post withdrawal. A few hours before this announcement was made, U.S Defence Secretary James Mattis resigned from his position without any prior information.??
Trump in one of his tweets expressed his achievement in what he believes to have ¡°defeated Syria¡± by saying that he had done more damage to ISIS than any recent presidents. The twin disengagements come with keeping in mind his non-interventionist outlook.
Calling Russia, Iran and Syria and others as local enemies of ISIS, he claimed that America had been doing the work of these countries for six long years.
¡°Does the USA want to be the Policeman of the Middle East, getting NOTHING but spending precious lives and trillions of dollars protecting others who, in almost all cases, do not appreciate what we are doing? Do we want to be there forever? Time for others to finally fight.....¡± he tweeted.
He further said that Russia, Iran and Syria were unhappy with this decision because now they will have to fight ISIS without U.S help. Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute told CNN that his decision was "extraordinarily shortsighted and naive.¡± Many even compared his decision with that of former President Barack Obama's decision to pull out troops prematurely from Iraq in 2011. Many called this as yet another episode of ?American inconsistency and unreliability.
Graham said that by taking the current course of decision , the U.S was paving way for a second 9/11. Meanwhile, unperturbed by the rebuttals, Donald Trump was busy gathering votes in the House so that a bill demanding that Congress assign USD?5 billion for a wall along the border with Mexico could be build.
However, unable to reach a consensus, the White House shutdown and this is the third shutdown of 2018 which has affected 800,000 federal employees who would see their jobs disrupted.