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=== Afghanistan ===
=== Afghanistan ===
Mulroy was critical of the decision to pull all U.S. military forces out of Afghanistan by 11 September 2021. He explained that the U.S. and the coalition partners “liberated a country from the grips of the Taliban, which protected al-Qaeda, the group that attacked us in 2001. According to the [[World Bank]], Afghanistan’s GDP rose from around $4 billion in 2002 to almost $20 billion in 2019. We also brought power, clean water, and education to millions.“<ref>https://www.mei.edu/blog/monday-briefing-new-round-iranian-saudi-talks</ref> Although he acknowledges the desire to see all U.S. forces leave, he is concerned how that would undo the positive steps Afghanistan has made and allow the [[Taliban]] to take back over.<ref> https://www.mei.edu/blog/monday-briefing-new-round-iranian-saudi-talks</ref> He told the [[Washington Post]] that “We’ve reduced our exposure and we’ve significantly reduced our casualties,” he said. “I just don’t think the investment of 3,000 troops is too much to keep what we’ve gained in 20 years.”<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/afghanistan-withdrawl-qaeda-us-counterterrorism/2021/04/17/4a383b46-9eb1-11eb-8a83-3bc1fa69c2e8_story.html</ref>
Mulroy was critical of the decision to pull all U.S. military forces out of Afghanistan by 11 September 2021. He explained that the U.S. and the coalition partners “liberated a country from the grips of the Taliban, which protected al-Qaeda, the group that attacked us in 2001. According to the [[World Bank]], Afghanistan’s GDP rose from around $4 billion in 2002 to almost $20 billion in 2019. We also brought power, clean water, and education to millions.“<ref>https://www.mei.edu/blog/monday-briefing-new-round-iranian-saudi-talks</ref> Although he acknowledges the desire to see all U.S. forces leave, he is concerned how that would undo the positive steps Afghanistan has made and allow the [[Taliban]] to take back over.<ref> https://www.mei.edu/blog/monday-briefing-new-round-iranian-saudi-talks</ref> He told the [[Washington Post]] that “We’ve reduced our exposure and we’ve significantly reduced our casualties,” he said. “I just don’t think the investment of 3,000 troops is too much to keep what we’ve gained in 20 years.”<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/afghanistan-withdrawl-qaeda-us-counterterrorism/2021/04/17/4a383b46-9eb1-11eb-8a83-3bc1fa69c2e8_story.html</ref>
Mulroy also expressed concern about the people who worked with the U.S. and how the Taliban would like retribution after leaving. He said that the U.S. should lift the cap for taking in refugees to accommodate those Afghans.<ref> https://www.mei.edu/blog/monday-briefing-new-round-iranian-saudi-talks</ref> He also told [[ABC News]] that the United States should leave enough troops there to conduct counter-terrorism operations and assist the Afghan National Army.<ref>https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-withdraw-us-forces-afghanistan-911-defense-official/story?id=770463</ref><ref>https://www.mei.edu/publications/biden-administration-and-middle-east-reflecting-first-100-days</ref><ref>https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/thousands-troops-heading-afghanistan-us-embassy-departures/story?id=79425797</ref>
== References ==
== References ==