White House Orders Troops Withdrawn from Afghanistan and Iraq
Qassim Abdul-Zahra/AP
We ran the numbers: There are 2319 news articles covering this topic. 50% (1153) are left leaning, 36% (843) are center, and 14% (323) are right leaning.
By the end of the year, the White House will bring home 2,500 troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. While left-leaning articles highlight that Trump may fall short of fulfilling a core premise to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan before leaving office, right-leaning articles highlight that acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller simultaneously said that all wars must end, while admitting that al Qaeda has not yet been vanquished.
A left-leaning article by CNN highlights that while Monday’s news indicates that the Pentagon is ready to remove thousands more U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, it also suggests that Trump may fall short of fulfilling a core premise to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan before leaving office. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not criticize Trump directly on Monday while discussing drawdown plans, but warned that a rapid withdrawal of forces would “hurt our allies.”
NPR published a centrist article reporting that NPR’s Tom Bowman reported that the move is opposed by senior military leaders, given Afghanistan’s fragile state. However, the withdrawal will likely have little effect on the ground, as U.S. forces will still be training elements of the Afghan military.
A right-leaning article by The Washington Examiner highlights that acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller simultaneously said that all wars must end, while admitting that al Qaeda has not yet been vanquished. By firing Mark Esper and installing retired Army Colonial Douglas Macgregor, Trump swept away civilian leaders who would resist a withdrawal.
From the right
Trump laying groundwork for full US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan before leaving office
The Washington Examiner