Austin Pledges U.S. Won’t Act Abruptly on Afghanistan Pullout
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U.S. Army troops collect their duffels after returning from a 9-month deployment in Afghanistan, in Fort Drum, New York, on Dec. 8, 2020.
Photographer: John Moore/Getty ImagesSecretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vowed a “thoughtful and deliberate” review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, signaling Friday that the Pentagon may not stick to the Trump administration’s agreement to withdraw the remaining U.S. troops as soon as May.
In his first press conference as Pentagon chief, Austin told reporters that the U.S. is committed to working with allies on its strategy in the war-ravaged nation, promising that there would be “no surprises” -- for NATO partners or the Afghan government. He also said that more progress was needed on Afghan-led negotiations with the Taliban and that the current levels of violence were too high.