US reduces troop numbers in Afghanistan ahead of transfer of power

A Marine guard stands at the entrance to the West Wing of the White House (Gerald Herbert/AP)

The US military has met its goal of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500 by Friday, a drawdown that may have violated a last-minute congressional prohibition.

The reduction could complicate matters for the incoming Biden administration, which must determine how to handle a Trump administration commitment to the Taliban to remove all US military, intelligence and contractor personnel from Afghanistan by May as a move to spur peace negotiations.