Flares are fired from a US Chinook helicopter over Afghanistan. Officials said that 7,000 of the 14,000 troops deployed there could be home by the summer TECH SGT GREGORY BROOK/US AIR FORCE/REUTERSPresident Trump has decided to withdraw half the 14,000 US troops stationed in Afghanistan, despite almost daily Taliban attacks. Mr Trump has defended the Syrian withdrawal, but there was no confirmation of the Afghanistan move from the White House. However, US officials said yesterday that up to 7,000 troops could return home by the summer; a reversal of approach from June 2017 when Mr Trump boosted troop numbers from 8,400 to the current level. In April James Mattis clashed with the president but convinced him to keep troops in Afghanistan Jim Lo Scalzo/EPAThe withdrawals have come against the advice of most…

Source: The Times December 22, 2018 00:03 UTC