Trump wants to withdraw all troops in Afghanistan before Christmas

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President Trump wants to bring home troops from Afghanistan in December, after the US signed a deal with the Taliban.

"We should bring home a handful of brave men and women on duty in Afghanistan at Christmas," US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter October 7.

Trump tweeted just hours after the US president's national security adviser said the country would reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 2,500 by early 2021. However, it is not clear whether the tweet was an order or a Trump's long-cherished aspirations.

The US and the Afghan Taliban in February signed a landmark agreement under which foreign forces would withdraw from the Central Asian nation in exchange for a Taliban pledge to fight terrorism. The force also agreed to negotiate a permanent ceasefire and power sharing mechanism with the Afghan government.

Trump and other officials once said the United States would withdraw 4,000-5,000 troops from Afghanistan in November. Officials said the number reduction in Afghanistan would also depend on conditions in the country.

Trump is seeking to make "stay away from endless ridiculous wars" the cornerstone of his foreign policy, even though thousands of US troops are stationed in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Hours before Trump tweeted, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said that nearly 5,000 US troops were stationed in Afghanistan, with the number falling to 2,500 early next year.

"The Afghans will eventually build a pact, a peace deal. It's a slow and difficult process, but we think it's a necessary step. We think Americans need to go home. ", O'Brien said during an event at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The National Security Council and the White House have not yet commented on the information.

The White House's withdrawal plan will almost certainly be reconsidered if Trump does not win the US presidential election on November 3. Trump's tweet could undermine the leverage of the Afghan government to negotiate with the Taliban.

While talks are taking place in the Qatar capital, Doha, clashes between Afghan government forces and the Taliban are still taking place, killing many personnel from both sides. Dozens of Afghan civilians have died in clashes over the past weeks.

The US launched a campaign against Afghanistan 19 years ago to topple the ruling Taliban on charges of harboring al-Qaeda elements that carried out the 9/11 attacks. About 2,400 US soldiers were killed in fighting in Afghanistan and thousands more were injured.