US Senator Rand Paul suggested that President Donald Trump would not only deliver on his pledge to withdraw all American troops from Syria but would also end America’s 17-year involvement in Afghanistan.
Paul, a Kentucky Republican and one of Trump’s staunch supporters in the Senate, told reporters Wednesday that the president would deliver on his pledge to bring American troops home, Politico reported.
Paul took a conference call with journalists after meeting with Trump privately to discuss his plans to end US involvement in Syria, where some 2,000 troops are currently deployed.
Though the senator would not reveal the details of their conversation, he said Trump believes “we’ve been at war too long and in too many places.”
Paul also wrote on Twitter that he had “never been prouder of President Donald Trump.”
“In today’s meeting, he stood up for a strong America and steadfastly opposed foreign wars,” he tweeted. “Putting America First means declaring victory in Afghanistan and Syria. President Trump is delivering on his promises.”
Trump has reportedly clashed with military advisers and generals about US overseas deployments, while also making bellicose foreign policy statements and threats of military strikes against countries such as North Korea, Venezuela and Iran.
“Not only is he following through on his Syria policy, I really do think there will be changes in Afghanistan as well,” the senator said. “In general, the idea is that we’re going to do things differently. We’re not going to stay forever. The Afghans will have to step up.
“It’s not that we’ll do nothing…we’ll probably still be there longer than I would like,” Paul clarified. “The president does acknowledge that America’s longest war does need to come to a close.”
This comes as a new analysis by senior researchers at RAND Corporation, a non-govt organization, highlights the consequences of a possible withdrawal of half of United States troops from Afghanistan – who have been engaged in the war for the past 17 years.
The research analyses US President Donald Trump’s stance and policies towards Afghanistan from his campaign era to the announcement of the new strategy on South Asia and Afghanistan, as well as to the recent announcement on a possible withdrawal of almost half of US troops from the country.
James Dobbins, a senior fellow at RAND, and US special envoy for Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, is among the writers of this research.
The research says drawing down military and civilian personnel will limit accountability for the use of aid funds, increase corrupt diversions and result in legislatively required cutbacks.
The research suggests that the Afghan government will continue to weaken in the case of the US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The research shows the following consequences are likely:
• Other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces also leave.
• US and other international civilian presence is sharply reduced.
• External economic and security assistance diminished.
• The government in Kabul begins to lose influence and legitimacy.
• Power moves from the center to the periphery.
• Responsibility for security increasingly devolves to regional militias and local warlords.
• Regional states back rival claimants to national power.
• The Taliban loses interest in negotiating peace with the United States.
• The Taliban extends its control over territory and population but encounters resistance.
• Afghanistan descends into a wider civil war.
• Civilian deaths rise sharply and refugee flows increase.
• Extremist groups, including Al Qaeda and Daesh, gain additional scope to organize, recruit and initiate terrorist attacks against US regional and homeland targets.