JUDY WOODRUFF: Today, the Taliban welcomed an announcement by President Trump that all
U.S. troops should leave Afghanistan by the end of the year.
But there are questions today about how that announcement was received by the U.S. military
and by U.S. and Afghan negotiators who are in peace talks right now.
And Nick Schifrin joins me to explain.
So, Nick, what exactly did the president and his national security adviser have to say
about this?
NICK SCHIFRIN: Three times, Judy, in the last 24 hours, the White House indicated it wanted
to accelerate the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The first time was yesterday afternoon, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien visiting Las
Vegas. Nevada is a swing state. And for the first time, he set a specific timetable to
reduce the troops in half.
ROBERT O'BRIEN, U.S. National Security Adviser: When the president took office, there were
over 10,000 American troops in Afghanistan. As of today, there are under 5,000. And that
will go to 2,500 by early next year.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Last night, the president went further. He tweeted that all troops should
be back by Christmas.
And, this morning, he said this during a phone interview with FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo:
DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: We're down to 4,000 troops in Afghanistan,
and I will have them home by the end of the year. They're coming home as we speak. And
19 years is enough. They're acting as policemen, OK? They're not acting as troops.
JUDY WOODRUFF: (AUDIO GAP) ahead of time?
NICK SCHIFRIN: The half-dozen military officials who I spoke to did not know that either the
president's tweet was coming, the president's interview was coming, or Robert O'Brien's
statement was coming.
There has been no public statement up until now that there should be 2,500 troops by early
next year. And defense officials tell me there was no coordination between them and the national
security adviser before he gave that speech.
Senior military officials oppose accelerating the withdrawal from Afghanistan. They tell
me, Judy, that even if they had to withdraw by the end of the year, they couldn't do it
in a very safe way. And if they had, to they would have to destroy equipment that's already
in Afghanistan.
And any kind of speedy withdrawal could also lead the embassy to reduce presence, because
the military provides both security and transportation.
But if the military is worried about the White House, it's mutual. One White House official
talking to me today said the military was -- quote -- "dragging their feet" on the withdraw.
And a separate U.S. official told me that these statements help remind the Department
of Defense to take withdrawal seriously.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Fascinating.
So, Nick, how does all this affect these ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government
and the Taliban?
NICK SCHIFRIN: Look, Judy, on the one hand, like some previous presidential announcements,
nothing may come of this. The military has not received any new formal orders.
But the Afghanistan experts I'm talking to say that this undermines the Afghan government
and U.S. diplomats and reduces the pressure on the Taliban.
Remember that the U.S. deal with the Taliban it signed in February said that the U.S. would
withdraw all troops by spring 2021 if and, only if, the Taliban broke with al-Qaida.
And that condition has been repeated by diplomats again and again, even last week, that withdraw
is conditions-based.
There were no conditions mentioned by President Trump and initially by Robert O'Brien either.
Military and intelligence officials said they haven't even had the time to assess whether
the Taliban has actually broken with al-Qaida.
And everybody I'm talking to today says that, without that condition, the Taliban probably
won't offer any concessions and kind of lie in wait until the U.S. withdraws.
Now, the announcement could put pressure on the Afghan government to agree to some concessions
the Taliban are asking for. However, Afghan officials told me today, Judy, that the U.S.
is telling them that this is not a new policy, that, effectively, they could ignore the president's
tweets.
What all these people I'm talking to say to me today is that this signals the White House
priority is not the Taliban/al-Qaida condition. It's not what's happening in Afghanistan.
It is the U.S. election. It is the desire to get out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible.
And, Judy, that could make any progress in what was already a difficult peace talks all
the more difficult.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Just finally, quickly, exactly what I was going to ask you, Nick.
The timing of this is what is so interesting, that we are less than four weeks from the
election.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Yes, absolutely, less than four weeks from election.
And that's what the Afghan government and U.S. diplomats and the military are worried
about; this is more about politics than policy.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Nick Schifrin reporting for us.
Thank you, Nick.
NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.