From that grim tabulation, Votel drew one central conclusion: America cannot afford to take its counterterrorism gains for granted. Less than three years later, much of Iraq’s military collapsed in the face of an Islamic State onslaught. Officials hope to keep a force of more than 5,000 troops in Iraq to help local forces contain insurgent threats. In Afghanistan, Votel said, any troop drawdowns should be tied to advances in the hoped-for peace process with the Taliban. But military leaders say they can better steer the gulf coalition toward a more responsible operation if they remain involved.

Source: National Post March 28, 2019 14:07 UTC