U.S. President Donald Trump will upend his own strategy to bring peace to Afghanistan and end America's longest war if he proceeds with plans to withdraw about half of the 14,000 U.S. troops there, according to veteran diplomats and U.S. officials.
A drawdown also will deal a fresh blow to allies' trust in the United States and give new room to militant groups al-Qaida and Islamic State in which to operate and plot attacks, they said.
"Barring some unforeseen details that have yet to come out, there is no way I can objectively look at this and see this as beneficial," said Jason Campbell, who was the Afghanistan country director at the Pentagon until September.