Defense Secretary says start of reduction in violence period in Afghanistan 'is a moving date'

"That is a moving date because we are still doing consultations if you will ... yesterday Secretary (of State Mike) Pompeo and I met with (Afghan) President (Ashraf) Ghani ... so I can't give you a hard date right now," Esper told reporters in Munich, Germany, before leaving to return to the US.

Esper said the US will need to make some decisions after the agreement on the violence, which is expected to last about seven days, ends.

"There is a reduction in violence period, and then we have to consider whether or not to move forward with the agreement, with the peace agreement. There will be a reduction (of US service members stationed in Afghanistan) to a certain number over time 8,600 and from there -- actually from the beginning it's all conditions based," he said.

"We have agreed to a number of things we would not do as well and (the Taliban) have agreed to a number of things ... We are going to suspend a significant part of our operations, but I don't want to go anymore into it," Esper added.

"Where we are right now is on the doorstep of a reduction of violence period. If we decide to move forward, if all sides hold up -- meet their obligations under that reduction in violence then we'll start talking about the next part, whether to move forward," he said.

Regarding an expected reduction of the US forces to just under 9,000, he told the reporters: "8,600 number is a number the commander feels very comfortable with that we can go down to and still perform all of our missions, (counterterrorism) and train, advise and assist."