"A complete withdrawal of U.S. forces would very likely cause the Taliban to make gains in key areas throughout Afghanistan," Roggio said. "This likely would cause the general collapse of the (Afghan National Security and Defense Force) as a cohesive fighting force and lead to the return of the warlords." U.S. President Donald Trump considers the war in Afghanistan a lost cause and has long pushed to pull the troops out. Peace talks aside, the announced withdrawal has Afghan generals and analysts worried about the ability of the beleaguered Afghan National Afghan Security Force to stave off a Taliban insurgency unfettered by U.S. troops and their pounding air power. The officials called America's withdrawal a defeat, comparing it to the U.S.'s evacuation from Vietnam, and Russia's 1979 forced withdrawal from Afghanistan that capped a failed 10-year campaign.

Source: Fox News December 21, 2018 11:02 UTC