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Pentagon Morale Has Never Been Worse Now That Trump Has Ordered Troops Out of Syria and Afghanistan: Fox News

Trump Has Just Ordered US Troops Out of Afghanistan – One Day After Announcing Pull Out From Syria, Hours After Mattis Quit
Hours after Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis resigned in protest over President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, the Commander-in-Chief Thursday night ordered a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The order comes just one day after he announced a complete pull out from Syria. 7000 troops, about half of the U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan, will leave, CNN reports.
How bad are things in the Defense Dept. now?
Even Fox News says things are bad, thanks to Trump.
This Fox News National Security Correspondent says morale at the Defense Dept. has never been worse.
A senior US defense official tells me they have never seen the morale in meetings at the Pentagon worse than they have in the past few days, following announcement that President Trump is withdrawing from Syria, drawing down in Afghanistan.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) December 20, 2018
I am told that CENTCOM, in particular, Gen Joe Votel, the head of US Central Command, feels “punched in the gut” by the decision to withdraw troops from Syria. US military commanders were “shocked” by the President’s decision, but now are making plans to withdraw.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) December 20, 2018
What seems clear is President Trump has made these decisions either without consulting his top intelligence, military, and national security advisors, or against their advice.
Multiple reports say he made the Syria decision after talking with Turkish dictator Erdogan.
What also seems clear is, like many decisions Trump makes, the tweet comes first, and the plan is thrown together by aides afterwards – which means there was little to no planning from the start.
Image: U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo visits troops in Kabul, Afghanistan. Official State Department photo via Flickr
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