International

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that President Trump ordered him to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by the 2020 election, in some of the clearest comments to date about Trump’s intentions for winding down the nearly ¬18-year conflict.
     “That’s my directive from the president of the United States. He’s been unambiguous: End the endless wars. Draw down. Reduce. It won’t just be us,” Pompeo said at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.
     Pompeo suggested that a troop withdrawal is connected to how the president views his job performance, saying a reduction of forces is “not only my expectation, it would be job-enhancing.”
     “We hope that overall the need for combat forces in the region is reduced,” Pompeo added.