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PICTURED: William Ruger, speaking with attendees at the 2017 Young Americans for Liberty National Convention. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore. CC 2.0.

WASHINGTON D.C., September 10th, 2020. On the eve of the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, President Donald Trump announced he had both appointed William Ruger, research fellow at the Cato Institute as the official U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, and ordered another 2,000 troops withdrawn from Iraq.

“In a very short period of time” Trump hopes to have only 3,000 soldiers in the country within a 2-3 month timeframe for withdrawal, which would be the lowest number they’ve been at in years.

The idea of a complete pullout of Iraq was remote, even after their parliament voted unanimously to sign a resolution demanding American forces leave. In a recent campaign speech in Freeland, MI, Trump noted that Biden was a full-throated supporter the Iraq War, while he is seeking to end it, indicating that perhaps he has more yet to do to drawdown America’s presence across Asia.

Meanwhile in Afghanistan, World at Large reported in July that Trump was allegedly vetting William Ruger as the new ambassador to the country. This was reported by unnamed sources who were speaking with politico.

A member of the so-called “Beltway Libertarians” at Cato, Ruger is also a retired Naval officer, veteran of Afghanistan, and vice president of foreign policy at the philanthropic organization, Stand Together, founded by Charles Koch. He is a fierce critic of foreign wars and strong supporter of individual liberty.

Occasionally bending an ear to dovish Libertarians or Republicans with sentiments for liberty like Rand Paul, it would be the first time Trump has appointed one to any significant position within his cabinet.

With only two months to go before the presidential elections, Donald Trump is hurrying to fulfill his promise of ending “endless wars,” one of his principle campaign messages, but one that was significantly impeded by cabinet members John Bolton and Michael Pompeo among others, and also by executive actions the president himself supported, such as the assassination of General Soleimani, and the support for the Saudi-led genocide in Yemen.

IRAQ, January 20th, 2011. PICTURED: Soldiers with the 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, stand with the graduating Iraqi tank class at Camp Taji, Iraq, where training the ISF has gone on for a decade or more. — **IRAQ, January 20th, 2011. PICTURED:** Soldiers with the 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, stand with the graduating Iraqi tank class at Camp Taji, Iraq, where training the ISF has gone on for a decade or more.

Establishment elites

No fan of people who advocate for war, Ruger has spent the last few years speaking out with no minced words against the “establishment elites” that have wasted so much of America’s “blood and treasure”.

Taken from an earlier World at Large Article.

In a recent article Ruger wrote for the National Interest, the Cato and Charles Koch research fellow questioned many of the taken-for-granted invocations for remaining in the conflict, including the question of “safe haven” and of the relationship between the Taliban and the Kabul government.

“President Trump has correctly concluded that a full and speedy withdrawal of our troops is imperative. Our national interest isn’t served by continuing to wage a futile battle but by exiting it,” wrote Ruger. “However, the clear-cut case for withdrawing isn’t stopping many within the foreign policy establishment from trying to prevent an end to American involvement in the war”.

Taken from another World at Large Article.

In a statement, officials from Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq, announced that coalition Camp Taji and all the $357 million in property it contains would be transfered over to the Iraqi Special Forces control, as part of a “long-range” involvement of the United States in Iraq.

2,000 troops withdrew from the base in the summer of 2020, with the remnant following after the final transfer of military equipment is completed, however it’s not clear whether or not they will stay in the country and rotate to another facility, or return to American shores.

The base, located just outside of Baghdad, has experienced a number of hostile rocket strikes since the assassination of Iranian Maj. General Qassem Soleimani in January. Following the strike, which also killed a powerful Iraqi politician and militia leader Abu al-Muhandis, the Iraqi parliament voted unanimously to expel the entire American military apparatus and establishment from the country.

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