O’Brien’s statement
The National Security Advisor said: “The President has set a timeline for troop withdrawal; we are going to be down to under 5,000 troops within the next month, and in the early part of next year we’re going to be down to 2,500 troops.”
O”Brien critical of Chief of Staff’s statement
In an interview last Monday Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley had said on National Public Radio (NPR): “Robert O’Brien, or anyone else, can speculate as they see fit, I am not going to engage in speculation, I’m going to engage in the rigorous analysis of the situation based on the conditions and the plans that I’m aware of in my conversations with the President. That was the decision of the President on a conditions-based withdrawal. The key here is that we’re trying to end a war responsibly, deliberately, and to do it on terms that guarantee the safety of the US vital national security interests that are at stake in Afghanistan.” An anonymous US defense official confirmed that the general’s remarks still reflected those of the US military on the situation. O’Brien had claimed that the withdrawal would be independent of conditions on the ground whereas the General stressed that the withdrawal would be conditions-based.
O’Brien says his claims are fact not speculation
In an interview Friday at an event hosted by the Aspen Security Forum, O’Brien claimed General Mark Milley’s criticism was incorrect that what he said was not speculation but the plan of the President of the United States:”The President has set a timeline for troop withdrawal; we are going to be down to under 5,000 troops within the next month, and in the early part of next year we’re going to be down to 2,500. That has been suggested by some that that’s speculation. I can guarantee you that’s the plan of the President of the United States..That’s not speculation, that’s the order of the commander-in-chief, the DOD is working on those plans and Secretary (Mark) Esper is fully on board and implementing them.”
Trump has said troops should be home by Xmas
O’Brien noted that Trump tweeted last week that all US troops in Afghanistan would be home by Xmas: “The troops always want to be home on Christmas. The president wants them home by Christmas, and what I’ve said on this and I think the president has said as well is that we’d like the troops out as soon as possible.”
At the end of February the US and Taliban signed a peace agreement which would see the US troops fully withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1 of 2021 but this would be contingent upon the Taliban keeping the terms of the agreement. The Afghan government was not part of the agreement and there have been separate talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
