House rejects resolution calling for removal of US troops from Pakistan

House rejects troop pullout from Pakistan

WASHINGTON — The House has rejected a resolution directing the president to remove all U.S. troops from Pakistan.

The United States has only several hundred military trainers in Pakistan, but the sponsor of the resolution, Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich, said Congress should act now to prevent the military presence there from growing.

He cited the recent release of thousands of classified documents about military operations in the region, arguing that Pakistan’s intelligence service has been aiding Taliban forces in Afghanistan and undermining U.S. interests.

But opponents pointed out the Americans on the ground in Pakistan are engaged in training and humanitarian missions, not combat.

The vote was 372-38 against the resolution.