China News Service, November 18, according to foreign media reports, on the 17th local time, US Acting Secretary of Defense Miller stated that US President Trump requested that the number of US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq be reduced by January 15, 2021. From the current 4,500 and 3,000, they were reduced to 2,500.

This means that the US military needs to withdraw a total of 2,500 troops from the two countries in the next two months.

　　Miller said: "According to Trump's order and the plan to reorganize the troops, the number of our troops in Afghanistan will drop to 2500 before January 15, 2021, and the number in Iraq will be the same."

　　He emphasized that this is in line with US plans and strategic interests.

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

　　Currently, the United States has approximately 4,500 soldiers in Afghanistan and approximately 3,000 soldiers in Iraq. The United States has previously reduced its military presence in both countries.

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peace agreement signed by the U.S. and the Taliban earlier in 2020, all U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan will be withdrawn by May 2021; the Taliban ensure that Afghan territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks; U.S. forces will not target Taliban forces unless It is to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

　　On the evening of November 13, local time, 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.