The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said he has reduced the number of American troops fighting in the country in an effort to boost military efficiency, a move that comes in the midst of rickety peace talks. Gen. Scott Miller said Monday that he has trimmed the American presence slightly to “optimize” the force. Officials said it didn’t amount to initial steps of an overall drawdown of forces in the 18-year conflict.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 21, 2019 18:11 UTC