The Pentagon, prompted by U.S. President Donald Trump, ordered a drawdown this week of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, a move that experts told JNS might actually empower Iran.
The drawdown to 2,500 in both places is slated to take place by Jan. 15, said Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, who was installed in the top Pentagon role last week after Trump fired U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
That date is five days before President-elect Joe Biden is set to be sworn in on Jan. 21. He has expressed support for U.S. troop withdrawals from the Middle East, though has called for the United States to have a small counterterrorism force there.
