US troops to stay in Afghanistan
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US President Barack Obama yesterday announced plans to keep nearly 10,000 American troops in Afghanistan through most of next year and 5,500 when he leaves office in 2017, casting aside his promise to end the war on his watch and instead ensuring he hands off the conflict to a successor.
Obama called the new war plan a “modest but meaningful” extension of the US military mission in Afghanistan, which he originally planned to end next year.
He acknowledged America’s weariness of the lengthy conflict but said he was “firmly convinced we should make this extra effort.”
Military leaders have argued for months that the Afghans needed additional assistance and support from the US to beat back a resurgent Taliban and hold on to gains made over the past 14 years of American bloodshed and billions of dollars in aid.
In his remarks from the White House, Obama said that while Afghan forces have made progress, the security situation in the country remains fragile.
After lengthy internal deliberations, Obama settled on a plan to maintain the current force of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through most of next year, then draw down to 5,500 troops in 2017, at a pace still to be determined after consultation with commanders.
It will be up to Obama’s successor — the third US commander in chief to oversee the war — to decide how to proceed from there.
“I suspect that we will continue to evaluate this going forward, as will the next president,” Obama said, standing alongside Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford.
Obama had planned to retain a small, embassy-based US military presence by the end of next year, a timeline coinciding with the final weeks of his presidency.
Obama said his plan to keep more troops in Afghanistan than previously planned offers the best chance for long-term success.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “As commander in chief I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as safe haven for terrorists to attack our nation again.”
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