ARLINGTON, Va.— Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) executive director Nate Anderson issued the following statement following news of President Trump ordering a drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq:
“While we are pleased to see progress toward ending our military involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, maintaining even a couple thousand troops in each country will needlessly risk American lives and waste billions of dollars in pursuit of objectives not tied to our national interest. In Afghanistan in particular, it is imperative the United States continue working to withdraw all its military forces from the country before or by the May 2021 deadline laid out in the withdrawal agreement signed by the United States and the Taliban.
In poll after poll the American public has shown it will support President Trump if he pursues a full withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. After almost two decades of fighting, it is time to bring our troops home. We again urge the president to pursue a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. This is the right thing for our safety, for our military, and for our nation’s future.”
BACKGROUND
CVA on Monday sent a letter to President Trump urging a full withdrawal from Afghanistan. Read the full letter here.
In a recent op-ed, CVA Senior Advisor Dan Caldwell argued President Trump could cement his foreign policy legacy by securing a full withdrawal from Afghanistan before the end of his term.
According to the agreement struck between the U.S. and the Taliban in February, all American troops are due to be withdrawn from the country by May of next year.
Polling commissioned by CVA earlier this year showed a continued increase in support for a more restrained foreign policy. From 2019 to 2020, support among veterans for withdrawing from Afghanistan rose 13 percentage points – from 60 percent to 73 percent. Among military family members, it rose 9 percent – from 60 percent to 69 percent.