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WASHINGTON DC – The former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan says the withdrawal of American troops from the country will damage current talks being held with the Taliban.

Retired General Stanley McChrystal says the withdrawal will also undermine the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship.

In an interview on the ABC news show This Week on Sunday, McChrystal said that a significant drawdown of troops in Afghanistan, would trade away the biggest leverage point the U.S. has.

“I think the great mistake in the president’s leaked guidance is that just when we were starting to sit down with the Taliban, just when we were starting to begin negotiations, he basically traded away the biggest leverage point we have.”

“If you tell the Taliban that we are absolutely leaving on a date, their incentives to try to cut a deal drops dramatically,” he said.  

President Donald Trump indicated just over a week ago, to the surprise of Afghanistan, other allies in the region, and even the Pentagon including the defense secretary, he was considering withdrawing a significant number of the 14,000 troops presently stationed in the country.  

The announcement followed a similar announcement, in similar circumstances, and again without consultation within the government, or externally with allies recruited by the U.S,, to withdraw altogether from Syria.

The proposed withdrawal from Afghanistan was announced by Mr Trump within two days of the conclusion of talks between U.S. military officials and the Taliban held in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, which UAE officials described as sucessful.

Afghanistan’s military chiefs have also warned against a withdrawal, saying it would threaten danger to the country, and in particular to the Afghan armed forces, which the U.S. has been equipping and training.

“Of course, I was worried about the confidence of the Afghan people because at the end of the day, that’s what determines who wins in Afghanistan,” McChrystal said Sunday.

“And I think we probably rocked them, we rocked them in their belief that we are allies that can be counted on.”

McChrystal took charge of all U.S. forces, and those in the alliance through NATO in mid-2009. He spent thirty four years in the military, and served as the head of the Joint Special Operations Command from 2003 to 2008.