Christopher C. Miller, President Trump’s recently named acting secretary of defense, signaled a possible withdrawal of U.S. troops from abroad in his first message to U.S. military personnel Friday.
In a two-page memo to Department of Defense employees, Mr. Miller said the 19-year-long war in Afghanistan is in a critical phase that requires transitioning from a leadership to supporting role.
“We are not a people of perpetual war — it is the antithesis of everything for which we stand and for which our ancestors fought. All wars must end,” Mr. Miller wrote in the memo, published online by the Pentagon.
“Ending wars requires compromise and partnership. We met the challenge; we gave it our all. Now, it’s time to come home,” Mr. Miller added.
The president announced Monday on social media that he had fired Mark Esper, his secretary of defense, and had appointed Mr. Miller to take his place effective immediately.
Mr. Miller, a retired U.S. Army officer, previously served as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center before Mr. Trump propelled him to the top of the Pentagon this week.
The number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, where al Qaeda remains present, dropped from over 10,000 when Mr. Trump entered office to under 5,000 as of last month, his national security adviser said then.
Robert C. O’Brien, the national security adviser, said at the time that he expected the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to drop to 2,500 by the start of 2021.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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