McConnell blasts Trump on troop withdrawals – By John M. Donnelly (Roll Call) / Nov 16 2020
McConnell has been almost unfailingly loyal to Trump, but he has openly pushed back on security issues
Amid indications President Donald Trump will move to slash the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq before he leaves office, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attacked the idea in a blistering Senate floor speech Monday.
McConnell has been almost unfailingly loyal to Trump, but the Kentucky Republican has openly pushed back when he has seen Trump’s actions as possibly threatening U.S. security.
McConnell, in his speech, gave Trump credit for battlefield victories over terrorists and for other geopolitical successes. But the senator’s principal point was that hurriedly extracting most U.S. troops from war zones by a date certain would jeopardize hard-fought military gains, embolden and strengthen America’s enemies in those countries, give U.S. adversaries everywhere a propaganda coup and weaken U.S. partners and allies.
“The consequences of a premature American exit would likely be even worse than President Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled — fueled — the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism,” McConnell said. “It would be reminiscent of the humiliating American departure from Saigon in 1975.”
Trump reportedly could announce as soon as this week that he will speed up planned withdrawals of U.S. troops. He is considering cutting by Jan. 15 the roughly 4,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to 2,500 and reducing their numbers in Iraq from 3,000 down to 2,500.
Continue > https://rollcall.com/2020/11/16/mcconnell-blasts-trump-on-troop-withdrawals/
