President Barack Obama announced changes to his plans to draw down the number of US forces in Afghanistan, saying the United States will maintain 8,400 troops in the country into 2017 as he acknowledged that after more than 14 years of war “the security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious”.
Advertisement
Speaking from the White House, Obama said he would draw down troops to 8,400, from the initial target of 5,500.
The numbers reflect a compromise between Obama’s original plan and what many military commanders had urged.
Obama said the troops remaining in Afghanistan would continue to be focused on training and advising the Afghan military and engaging in counterterroism efforts.
“It is in our national security interest, esp after all the blood and treasure we’ve invested over the years, that we give our partners in afghan the best chance to succeed”.
“When the President himself describes the security situation in Afghanistan as ‘precarious, ‘ it is hard to discern any strategic rationale for withdrawing 1,400 US troops by the end of the year”, said Sen.
The last time Mr. Obama gave a statement on Afghanistan from the White House, he announced that the USA would slow the pace of its troop draw-down in the country. The president, joined by Defense Secretary Ash Carter, said the goal is to provide a “solid foundation for continued progress” in the next administration.
His original plan was to draw down United States troops in Afghanistan to 5,500 by the end of this year, Xinhua news agency reported.
Republican lawmakers have urged Obama to keep in place all of the almost 10,000 US forces tasked with advising and training the Afghan military and conducting counterterrorism operations.
Obama has been under pressure from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies and USA lawmakers to make a decision before he attends a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit later this week in Warsaw, Poland.
Last month, the Obama administration announced some changes to the scope of the us mission in Afghanistan, permitting an expanded role for USA air power, for example.
“Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be”. He said if terrorists regain control of territory, they’ll try to attack the US again.
Obama’s announcement on Wednesday was also notable because it nearly certainly represented the last of a string of troop review exercises and announcements on troop numbers that have punctuated his administration, focusing on Iraq and Afghanistan, that have prompted Republicans to accuse him of imposing artificial, politically motivated timelines on military operations.
The military has argued to keep closer to the 9,800 troops now there to help assist the Afghans and guard against a Taliban resurgence. Now there are 9,800 troops supporting the Afghanistan government in its fight against the Taliban, attempts by al Qaeda to regroup and a nascent threat from ISIS.
“You have now been waging war against the Afghan people for many years”, Obama said.
Republican leaders in Congress who favor a larger troop force said Obama’s new plan was preferable to the old one, but they criticized him for not keeping the full 9,800.
“I’ve made it clear that I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as safe haven for terrorists to attack our nation again”, Obama said. Last month, Obama sent a report on U.S. troop levels to Congress under the War Powers Resolution.
“President Obama remains absolutely committed to pursuing peace and reconciliation process”.
Advertisement
USA combat operations ended 18 months ago, but almost 10,000 Americans remain deployed there. He also cast the decision as a nod to the next president, saying the troop level “best positions my successor to make decisions’ about the future of US involvement there”.
