The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has not received orders to pull forces out of the war-torn country, NATO confirmed on Monday, days after it was revealed that President Donald Trump plans to withdraw 7,000 troops.
General Scott Miller’s remarks on Sunday capped a tumultuous few days for Afghanistan as foreign diplomats and Afghan officials digested the possibility of the United States exiting the 17-year war it started and is now leading efforts to end.
An American official said late last week that Mr. Trump had decided to pull out “roughly half” of the 14,000 U.S. forces in the country, but the White House has so far not confirmed the widely-publicised move.
‘Nothing has changed’
“I have no orders, so nothing has changed,” said Gen. Miller, who is also the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, during a meeting with the Governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar, according to Tolo News.
The remarks were confirmed by NATO’s Resolute Support mission in Kabul. “But if I do get orders, I think it is important for you to know that we are still with the security forces. Even if I have to get a little bit smaller, we will be okay,” Gen. Miller continued. U.S. troops make up the bulk of the Resolute Support mission to train and advise local forces fighting the Taliban and the Islamic State group. Others are part of a U.S.-led counterterrorism mission.
While there has been no official announcement of a U.S. drawdown, the mere suggestion of the U.S. reducing its military presence has rattled the Afghan capital.
