General Milley Calls Rushed Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan a ‘Strategic Mistake’ by Thomas Gibbons-Neff – New York Times
Withdrawing American troops from Afghanistan too soon would be a “strategic mistake,” President Trump’s nominee for Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman said Thursday, clearly outlining the Pentagon’s position as the White House wrestles with whether to pull military forces and end the 18-year war.
“I think it is slow, it’s painful, it’s hard — I spent a lot of my life in Afghanistan — but I also think it’s necessary,” Gen. Mark A. Milley, the nominee, said about the American military’s continuing mission at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
General Milley’s tough line on the war comes as the United States and the Taliban navigate their seventh round of peace negotiations…