US troops to pull outof Syria, AfghanistanBy The Manila Timeshome/News/World/US troops to pull outof Syria, AfghanistanWASHINGTON, D. C.: The Pentagon is developing plans to withdraw up to half of the 14,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan, US officials said Thursday (Friday in Manila), marking a sharp change in the Trump administration’s policy aimed at forcing the Taliban to the peace table after more than 17 years of war. One official said the troops could be out by summer, but no final decision has been made. President Donald Trump has long pushed to pull troops out of Afghanistan, considering the war a lost cause. US troops stormed into Afghanistan in November 2001 in an invasion triggered by the September 11 attacks. Taliban insurgents, however, control nearly half of Afghanistan and are more powerful than at any time since a 2001 U.S.-led invasion.

Source: Manila Times December 22, 2018 02:15 UTC