Major military bases for the operation will be stationed in cities Kabul, Bagram, Jalalabad and Kandahar.
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While a few Fort Bragg soldiers said the decision comes as no surprise, McNeill said “there was no indication” that Obama would change course on withdrawing from Afghanistan.
“Those have been broad discussions, deep discussions, ones that have included the president’s personal engagement and a number of very detailed questions from the president about our posture”, an official said.
“Maintaining American troops in Afghanistan can in no way slow down the rapid process of our jihad and struggle”, the Taliban statement said according to Reuters.
In his speech, President Obama defended his plan, saying the Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be.
Reversing policy on Afghanistan, President Barack Obama announced yesterday he will prolong the 14-year-old U.S. military engagement there, effectively handing off the task of pulling out troops to his successor. “And as our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014 the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country”. “They’ve been indicating a desire for this commitment for a few time”, an official said.
Mr. Obama is clearly concerned with his legacy and is extending the period of exposure and cost of the US troop presence in Afghanistan to see that it doesn’t fall apart completely during his time in office.
“This forced step is another graphical evidence of the full blunder of the 14-year Washington military campaign and its allies in Afghanistan”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Meanwhile, Afghan politician Shukria Barakzai told the BBC’s Newsday that “more troops, more aid, more co-operation… can be the only way that we can survive [in] Afghanistan”.
This new timeline, however, not only pushes back the withdrawal date, but calls for the United States to maintain an indefinite presence in Afghanistan.
“Afghans are making hard but genuine progress”. As I have continually said, my approach is to assess the situation on the ground, to figure out what is working, and figure out what is not working, and make adjustments where necessary.
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Clinton negotiated with then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai on a bilateral security agreement toward the end of her tenure that would have set the legal parameters for the residual force to stay in Afghanistan.
