Senate chief blasts Trump troop withdrawal plans

US Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, on Monday warned President Donald Trump against accelerating troop reductions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He said the move would give extremists a “big propaganda victory.”

While addressing reports that Trump plans to announce within days sharp cuts to US forces in both countries, the Republican Senate chief said the US would be “abandoning” partners.

The Senate majority leader added that the move would leave room for the Taliban to take control of Afghanistan and the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda to rebuild.

“The consequences of a premature US exit would likely be even worse than president Obama’s withdrawal from Iraq back in 2011, which fueled the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism,” McConnell said on the Senate floor.

“It would be reminiscent of the humiliating America departure from Saigon in 1975.”

McConnell spoke after media reports said the Pentagon had received directives to prepare to bring back another 2,000 US forces from Afghanistan and 500 from Iraq before Trump steps down on January 20.

That would leave only about 2,500 troops in each country, fewer than US military officials have said is enough to ensure stability.