Getting American troops out of "harm's way" in Afghanistan "is the mission set," according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but he added no troops in the country would not mean no security for Americans.
"The president to date has said that we're going to go from where we are today, something just over 4,000, to around 2,500" troops, Pompeo told Fox News' "Special Report" host Bret Baier. "But Bret, don't fall in the trap of thinking about America's security related to the number of soldiers on the ground in any one place.
"The threat from terrorism around the world — from Islamic extremism, Islamic terrorism — is real. It doesn't just emanate from Afghanistan."
The threats are always evolving and American policy in the Middle East can be dynamic, Pompeo said.
"We have the force posture right today," Pompeo added. "We're going to keep it right. We'll get our troops home when we can, and we'll do the things we need to do.
"President [Donald] Trump has been very clear we're going to protect and secure the homeland, but we're not going to have our young men and women in harm's way when it doesn't deliver real security benefits for the United States and for our allies," Pompeo concluded.
"We are safer here in the United States today as a result of the things the Trump administration has done not only in Afghanistan but throughout that region."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.