Latest news with #militarywithdrawal
Russia Today
26-05-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
US troop reduction in Europe expected in ‘coming months'
The US is expected to announce a reduction in its military presence in Europe in the 'coming months,' the German daily Handelsblatt has reported, citing 'high-ranking European diplomats.' The exact scale of the pullout is still unclear but NATO is reportedly making preparations for such a development, according to the paper. The pullout could be linked to the new US national defense strategy, according to EU sources contacted by the newspaper. The document is expected to be ready by the end of summer, the report said. Washington needs to focus its efforts on countering China as it is not prepared for a potential confrontation with Beijing, according to US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, who was approached by Handelsblatt. Rumors about a potential pullout have been circulating in the media ever since NBC News reported in April that the US was considering withdrawing up to 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe. US President Donald Trump later confirmed that he is considering a partial withdrawal but did not elaborate on either its scale or timetable. In mid-May, the US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said that Washington plans to start talks about a potential pullout with other NATO members following the bloc's summit in June. 'We are not going to have any more patience for foot dragging in this situation,' he said at the time, while admitting that 'nothing has been determined' yet. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly denied speculation about a US pullout during a visit to Lithuania this week. 'We currently have no indication that the United States of America will withdraw troops from Europe,' he told journalists at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius. The cost of replacing the US equipment and personnel following a withdrawal could amount to around $1 trillion over 25 years, Politico reported earlier in May, citing a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. As of early 2025, there were nearly 84,000 US troops stationed in Europe, with the largest concentrations in Germany and Poland, and smaller deployments in Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania, according to the US European Command.
Times of Oman
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
US: Pentagon to conduct comprehensive review of 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan
Washington, DC: The US Department of Defence on Wednesday announced a comprehensive review of the 2021 military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport. The review aims to provide accountability and transparency, examining previous investigations and decision-making processes that led to the tragic event. A Special Review Panel will be convened to analyse findings of fact, sources, and witnesses, ensuring a thorough understanding of what transpired. "On August 26, 2021, Former US President Joe Biden's administration led a chaotic withdrawal of US military and embassy officials from Afghanistan that led to the deaths of 13 US Service members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport's Abbey Gate," according US Department of Defence. Further, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that President Donald Trump and he "formally pledged full transparency for what transpired during our military withdrawal from Afghanistan." "The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and to the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get to the facts. This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform, and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation," the statement added. Hegseth noted that the Department has been "engaged in a review of this catastrophic event in our military's history over the last three months." "I have concluded that we need to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure that accountability for this event is met and that the complete picture is provided to the American people. To meet this imperative, I am directing the Assistant to the Secretary of Defence for Public Affairs (ATSD-PA) and Senior Advisor, Sean Parnell to convene a Special Review Panel (SRP) for the Department who will thoroughly examine previous investigations, to include but not limited to, findings of fact, sources, witnesses, and analyse the decision making that led to one of America's darkest and deadliest international moments," as per US Department of Defence.
Russia Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Senegal to expel all foreign troops
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has declared that all foreign military personnel stationed in the country must withdraw by the end of July. French troops remain the only foreign military presence in Senegal, operating under a 2012 defense partnership agreement. As part of a phased withdrawal, France officially transferred control of the Rear Admiral Protet naval base in Dakar to Senegalese authorities on May 15. This follows the earlier handover of the Marshall and Saint-Exupéry facilities in March. The remaining bases are scheduled to be transferred in subsequent phases. Speaking to Burkina Faso's national broadcaster RTB on Monday, Sonko said that since his administration came to power nearly a year ago, it had taken a number of steps to assert national sovereignty. 'We have notified all countries that have military bases in Senegal that we demand a complete withdrawal. There will be no more foreign military bases on Senegalese territory,' he stated. According to the prime minister, the withdrawal process is already underway. He confirmed that one foreign military base was vacated just two days prior to the interview and stressed that the handover of another facility would be completed by the end of July. Sonko framed the move as a normal assertion of sovereignty, stating that Senegal has 'a national army, defense and security forces. We think we are able to ensure our own safety.' He also called on other African nations to take greater control of their own destinies. In November 2023, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye called the presence of French troops 'incompatible' with national sovereignty. His newly elected administration has taken a firm stance on scaling back France's military footprint in the country. Several West African nations, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, have severed all military ties with France in recent years, citing frustration with French-led counterterrorism efforts and a desire to seek out alternative partners like Russia.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Pentagon chief orders ‘comprehensive review' into 2021 U.S. Afghanistan withdrawal
FILE - Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at the perimeter of the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Shekib Rahmani) U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a 'comprehensive review' on Tuesday of the United States' chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, an evacuation operation in which 13 U.S. service members and 150 Afghans were killed at Kabul's airport in an Islamic State bombing. It was unclear how Hegseth's review would differ from the many previous reviews that were carried out - including by the U.S. military, State Department and even President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives. Hegseth could be accused of politicizing the matter. The Biden administration, which oversaw the 2021 pullout, mostly blamed the resulting chaos on a lack of planning and reductions in troops by the first Trump administration following a 2020 deal with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. forces. On the campaign trail, Trump frequently criticized Biden and his administration for the withdrawal. In a memo, Hegseth said that after three months of reviewing the withdrawal, a comprehensive review was needed to ensure accountability for this event. 'This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation,' Hegseth wrote. In a statement accompanying the memo, he said Pentagon spokesperson and senior adviser Sean Parnell would lead the review. Other individuals who served in Afghanistan, such as Stuart Scheller, who was publicly critical of the withdrawal while he was in the Marine Corps, would be a part of the review panel. Senior U.S. military officials, including then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and then-top U.S. general Mark Milley, have already appeared before lawmakers. U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, has also carried out an investigation into the Islamic State attack that killed the 13 U.S. troops and dozens of Afghans during the last few days of the withdrawal. Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Howard Goller
Reuters
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Pentagon chief orders 'comprehensive review' into 2021 US Afghanistan withdrawal
WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a "comprehensive review" on Tuesday of the United States' chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, an evacuation operation in which 13 U.S. service members and 150 Afghans were killed at Kabul's airport in an Islamic State bombing. It was unclear how Hegseth's review would differ from the many previous reviews that were carried out - including by the U.S. military, State Department and even President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives. Hegseth could be accused of politicizing the matter. The Biden administration, which oversaw the 2021 pullout, mostly blamed the resulting chaos on a lack of planning and reductions in troops by the first Trump administration following a 2020 deal with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. forces. On the campaign trail, Trump frequently criticized Biden and his administration for the withdrawal. In a memo, Hegseth said that after three months of reviewing the withdrawal, a comprehensive review was needed to ensure accountability for this event. "This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation," Hegseth wrote. In a statement accompanying the memo, he said Pentagon spokesperson and senior adviser Sean Parnell would lead the review. Other individuals who served in Afghanistan, such as Stuart Scheller, who was publicly critical of the withdrawal while he was in the Marine Corps, would be a part of the review panel. Senior U.S. military officials, including then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and then-top U.S. general Mark Milley, have already appeared before lawmakers. U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, has also carried out an investigation into the Islamic State attack that killed the 13 U.S. troops and dozens of Afghans during the last few days of the withdrawal.
