New from me: Esper memo warned conditions weren't met for withdrawal from Afghanistan
cnn.com/2020/11/16/pol…
cnn.com/2020/11/16/pol…
Some info from my reporting:
Esper wants the US to get out of Afghanistan to focus on China and Russia;
he doesn’t think Afghanistan is a vital national interest, though it cannot be allowed to become a haven for terrorists who want to attack the US
Esper wants the US to get out of Afghanistan to focus on China and Russia;
he doesn’t think Afghanistan is a vital national interest, though it cannot be allowed to become a haven for terrorists who want to attack the US
The Esper memo reflected the unanimous opinion of the chain of command -- Esper, US Central Command leader Marine Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, and commander of NATO's mission in Afghanistan Gen. Austin Miller
The risks he was concerned about if conditions weren’t met include:
Alienating US allies, who currently provide more service members in Afghanistan than the US.;
"Green-on-Blue" attacks on American service members by anxious Afghan soldiers;...
Alienating US allies, who currently provide more service members in Afghanistan than the US.;
"Green-on-Blue" attacks on American service members by anxious Afghan soldiers;...
...eroding the credibility and standing of the US around the world;
impacting Afghan military, which relies on US "enablers" such as logistics and air support;
and, perhaps most importantly, undermine efforts to get the Taliban to live up to their end of the peace agreement.
impacting Afghan military, which relies on US "enablers" such as logistics and air support;
and, perhaps most importantly, undermine efforts to get the Taliban to live up to their end of the peace agreement.
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