“President Ghani underscores the important role of the U.S.as a strong and reliable partner, especially in the war on terrorism, and appreciates the US military’s technical and security cooperation” with the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces”, according to an Afghan government statement.
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As in Iraq, the USA mission in Afghanistan is to train and support the country’s security forces.
Mr Obama cast his decision as a vote of confidence in Afgha- nistan’s government, led by President Ashraf Ghani, as well as in the support of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members and other partners, who have contributed 6,000 troops.
Taliban forces now hold more territory in Afghanistan than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion, according to recent United Nations estimates. The aim was to stop Afghanistan from ever being able to be a safe haven for terrorists. “He said simply that the Afghan forces are not strong enough”.
Though Obama touted progress in Afghanistan, including better-trained security forces, the situation remains perilous, with Afghan battlefield deaths rising and civilian casualties hitting a record high.
Air Force photograph by TSgt.
An Afghan airman marshals in an A-29 Super Tucano at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, Jan. 15, 2016.
President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced that the scheduled reduction of USA troops in Afghanistan will be decelerated and, when he leaves office next January, 8,400 US soldiers will still remain in that country, significantly more than the 5,500 he initially had promised. Those changes were announced last month and allow Nicholson to order airstrikes in support of Afghan forces to tip strategic battles their way. Initially, the president announced he meant to leave only an embassy security force of about 1,000 troops in the country, where the United States has been at war since the end of 2001, shortly after al-Qaida terrorists attacked NY and Washington, D.C. on September 11.
Obama’s decision comes at a time when the Taliban is in the midst of a major resurgence in Afghanistan.
Obama said the decision will also send a message to the Taliban that the only way to end the conflict and achieve a full drawdown of foreign forces is through a lasting political settlement.
Republican leaders in Congress were welcoming the decision, but criticizing Mr. Obama for not keeping even more there.
“Now he is leaving more troops than he had hoped”, Culhane said.
Even at the reduced level, the US forces will be able to advise Afghan forces in the field at the two- and three-star level, the officials said. “With our help they are still seeking to improve critical capabilities such as intelligence, logistics, aviation and command and control”.
That said, the focus of the USA mission – training and supporting Afghan troops, counter-terrorism – remains the same, Obama added.
“I firmly believe the decision I’m announcing is the right thing to do”, Obama said. “You have now been waging war against the Afghan people for many years”. A senior administration official said the decision on USA troop levels “will be welcomed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies”.
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The president, whose term in office ends next January, said his successor would be best positioned to make future decisions concerning the United States presence.
