Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, who Trump installed last week after firing Mark Esper, made the announcement on Tuesday at the Pentagon and also outlined a modest withdrawal of forces in Iraq, reducing troop levels there from 3000 to 2500 by January 15th 2021.

Our forces their size in Afghanistan will be 2500.

Troops are four size in Iraq will also be 2500 by that same date.

This is consistent with our established plans and strategic objectives.

White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien afterwards went further, telling reporters that Trump hope that all U.

S.

Troops will be home from Afghanistan and Iraq in this spring By May.

It is President Trump's hope that they will all come home safely and in their entirety.

Trump's decision toe limit himself to a partial withdrawal in Afghanistan was first reported by Reuters on Monday and triggered a rebuke from senior Republicans who fear it will undermine security and hurt fragile peace talks with the Taliban.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday again warned against any major changes in the U.

S.

Defense or foreign policy.

Right now, I think it's extremely important here in the next couple of months, not toe have any earth shaking changes with regard to defense and foreign policy.

I think a precipitous drawdown and either Afghanistan or Iraq would be a mist ake.

I've so said publicly yesterday and I hope that's precisely where these discussions end up.

The withdrawals could hand President elect Joe Biden a new set of challenges when he takes office on January 20th.

US.

And Afghan officials are warning of troubling levels of violence by Taliban insurgents and persistent Taliban links to Al Qaeda.