Biden Says He’ll Keep U.S. Troops in the Middle East If Elected President

Former Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview Thursday that he would keep an enduring U.S. troop presence in the Middle East if elected president.

“These ‘forever wars’ have to end. I support drawing down the troops. But here’s the problem, we still have to worry about terrorism and [the Islamic State],” Biden told military newspaper Stars and Stripes in a phone interview.

Biden supports a “small U.S. military footprint” whose primary mission would be to facilitate special operations against the Islamic State in Iraq or Syria (ISIS), or other terrorist organizations, according to the paper.

Biden said there should be a “maximum” of 1,500 to 2,000 on the ground, but did not specify where he meant.

Trump has stated his goal is to end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and bring home all U.S. troops. (Read more from “Biden Says He’ll Keep U.S. Troops in the Middle East If Elected President” HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE