US President Donald Trump has ordered US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to reduce the number of US troops in Afghanistan by the 2020 election, said Mr Pompeo at an event at the Economic Club of Washington .
Mr Pompeo answered a question “That’s my directive from the president of the United States. He’s been unambiguous: End the endless wars. Draw down. Reduce.”
The comments follow President Trump’s meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House last Monday, in which both leaders agreed to create an environment conducive to the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
Speaking at a fireside chat at the club, the top US diplomat said that Washington had a simple message for all Afghans: “We want them to take their country back.”
