Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan

The Pentagon has spent billions of dollars since 2001, when US troops entered Afghanistan for what is known as the "war on terror" following the September 11 attacks. The end of US military presence in the country may already be seen if the ongoing negotiations in Doha between the United States and Taliban representatives are successful.

The U.S. Department of Defense is considering a U.S. military request to send about 5,000 additional troops to the Middle East amid increasing tensions with Iran, two U.S. officials told Reuters on May 22.

The US military has removed some equipment from Syria, a defense official confirmed on Jan. 10, following a report that the drawdown ordered by President Donald Trump is now underway.

The parliament on Dec. 25 ratified a motion to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Afghanistan for another two years as part of the NATO's support mission in the war-torn country.

The Hellenic Air Force has sent a team of technical advisers to Afghanistan in what is seen as tangible proof of Greece's commitment to supporting NATO in all of its operational fronts.

Montenegro's Defence Minister Predrag Boskovic will visit the US next week to meet the US Defense Secretary James Mattis and offer more troops for the NATO-led mission in Afganistan.

According to government documents, which BIRN has seen, Montenegro plans to increase the number of soldiers by 50 per cent to meet US demands  for allies to help share the load.

Pakistan's military said Friday the suspension of U.S. assistance will undermine bilateral security cooperation and regional peace efforts but will not deter the Pakistan's counterterrorism resolve.

"Pakistan never fought for money but for peace," army spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor told VOA.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in Pakistan on Dec. 4 to meet with top leaders and seek common ground on the counterterrorism fight, amid Trump administration calls for Islamabad to more aggressively go after the insurgents moving back and forth across the border with Afghanistan.

Around 3,000 additional US troops are stationed in Afghanistan under US President Donald Trump's new strategy, the Pentagon said. Now there are about 14,000 US soldiers in Afghanistan, reports mediapool 

The United States is to ask NATO allies to contribute around 1,000 additional troops to help in the battle against the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, the new US ambassador to the alliance said Thursday.