US troop drawdowns in Afghanistan ‘not necessarily’ tied to Taliban deal: Esper

LONDON: US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday (Dec 2) that any future troop drawdowns in Afghanistan were "not necessarily" linked to a deal with Taliban insurgents, suggesting some lowering of force levels may happen irrespective of the ongoing peace push.

The remarks by Esper in an interview with Reuters came on the heels of a Thanksgiving trip last week to Afghanistan by President Donald Trump, who spoke of potential troop reductions and said he believed the Taliban insurgency would agree to a ceasefire in the 18-year-old war.

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If honoured by all sides, a ceasefire could lead to a significant reduction in violence. But US military commanders would still focus on the threats associated with two other militant groups in Afghanistan: Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Esper said the Trump administration had been discussing potential reductions in troop levels for some time, both internally and with US allies.

"I feel confident that we could reduce our numbers in Afghanistan and still ensure that place doesn't become a safe haven for terrorists who could attack the United States," Esper said, without offering a figure.

"And our allies agree we can make reductions as well."

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Asked whether such reductions would necessarily be contingent on some sort of agreement with the Taliban insurgency, Esper said: "Not necessarily."

He did not elaborate.

There are currently about 13,000 US forces in Afghanistan as well as thousands of oRead More – Source