China News Service, November 17th. According to the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), two US officials revealed that it is expected that US President Trump will issue orders to reduce the number of troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq later this week, in 2021. By mid-January, the number of US troops in the two places will be reduced to 2,500.

　　The United States currently has 4,500 soldiers in Afghanistan and 3,000 soldiers in Iraq. The United States has previously reduced its troops in both countries.

Data map: On February 23, local time, on the South Lawn of the White House, US President Trump stated that the US military has been in Afghanistan for 19 years. “We hope to reach a peace agreement. The Taliban also want to reach a peace agreement. They are tired of fighting.” Photo by China News Agency reporter Chen Mengtong

　　According to the peace agreement signed by the U.S. and the Taliban earlier in 2020, all U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan will be withdrawn by May 2021; the Taliban ensure that Afghan territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks; U.S. forces will not target Taliban forces unless It is to provide security protection for the Afghan authorities.

　　Several senior U.S. officials said that although the Taliban did not attack the U.S. military, they launched an attack on the Afghan security forces.

In addition to urging the Taliban to stop such attacks, US officials also stated that if the Taliban continue to do so, the United States may reassess its commitment to complete withdrawal.

　　On the evening of November 13, local time, the Acting Secretary of Defense Miller hinted in a letter to the US military that the US war in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda had ended.

"All wars must end," he said.

"Ending the war requires compromise and cooperation. We have met the challenge and we have done our best. Now, it is time to go home."

　　The United States launched the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and overthrew the Taliban regime that the United States identified as sheltering the "Al Qaeda" organization.

According to statistics, since the war in Afghanistan, more than 100,000 Afghan citizens and soldiers have died, and more than 2,400 US soldiers have died.

　　The United States launched the Iraq War in 2003 and withdrew its troops from Iraq at the end of 2011, leaving only a small number of soldiers.

In 2014, the "Islamic State" seized large areas of western and northern Iraq, and the United States subsequently increased its troops in Iraq, but the US military's authority was limited to combating the "Islamic State" and providing support and training for the Iraqi government forces.