TOP U.S. ENVOY LEADING FIGHT AGAINST ISLAMIC STATE RESIGNS

WASHINGTON: Brett Mcgurk, the US envoy to the global coalition battling Islamic State (IS), has resigned in protest against President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.

Only 11 days ago, Mcgurk had said it would be “reckless” to consider IS defeated and therefore would be unwise to bring American forces home. He decided to speed up his plan to leave in mid-february.

Mcgurk, appointed to the post by former president Barack Obama in 2015 and retained by Trump.

AFGHAN GENERALS FEAR MORE CHAOS

The Taliban welcomed news of the US plan to withdraw half its troops in Afghanistan by the summer, but Afghan generals warned it would be a blow to the morale of the country’s security forces who come under daily attacks from the insurgents.

“The Taliban will see this as a reason to stall, and it disincentivises the Taliban to talk to the Afghan government,” said Bill Roggio, an analyst with the Washington-based Foundation for Defence of Democracies.

ABOUT 2,200 SOLDIERS HEADING TO KABUL

The Georgia National Guard’s 48th Brigade is proceeding for now with its January deployment to Afghanistan.

It is not known if the US pullout will change the duration of the brigade’s nine-month mission at the Bagram Air Base. About 2,200 troops are set to deploy just after Christmas to eastern Afghanistan.