Those troops, he said, had not been able to quell a string of attacks and suicide bombings, including in the capital, Kabul.
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“The narrow missions assigned to our forces will not change-they’ll remain focused on supporting Afghan forces and going after terrorists”, Obama said.
Top military leaders urged the White House still leaves the numbers where they were, though the Pentagon’s recommendation was to have 8400 troops, which Obama accepted.
Though Obama had initially announced intentions to get the last of the troops out in 2016, he had already revised that back in October, saying he meant to leave about 5,500 troops there.
There are now 9,800 American servicemembers in Afghanistan.
In a June letter to the president, Senator Corker urged the president to make a decision about USA forces in Afghanistan well ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw that begins Thursday.
“In January, the next US president will assume the most solemn responsibility of the commander in chief, security of the United States and the safety of the American people”.
“The decision I’m making today ensures my successor has a solid foundation for continued progress in Afghanistan, as well as the flexibility to address the threat of terrorism as it evolves”, he said.
The individuals briefed on the plan spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose the numbers before the president’s announcement.
Obama said the troop level decision sends a message to the Taliban that US and the global community’s “commitment to Afghanistan will endure”.
Both Mr. McCain and Sen.
There were 9,300 troops in Afghanistan as of last month, when Obama sent a report on US troop levels to Congress under the War Powers Resolution.
“I firmly believe the decision I’m announcing is the right thing to do.” he said.
“Now he is leaving more troops than he had hoped”, Culhane said.
US troops in Afghanistan have been working on two missions. He said he has brought 90 percent of the troops home. But they’re criticizing him for not keeping even more. “I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven”.
The announcement to keep the bulk of American troops in Afghanistan came ahead of the two-day North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Warsaw, Poland, which opens on Friday. They included Gen. John F. Campbell, who had been the top US commander in Kabul until four months ago, and retired Gen. David Petraeus. Those missions are to train and to advise Afghan forces and to support counterterrorism efforts aimed at the remnants of al-Qaida and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which is trying to gain a foothold in the country. The Arizona Republican says Obama’s announcement is preferable to cutting the troop level by almost half. Pegging the number at 8,400 troops will allow the United States “to continue to provide tailored support to help Afghan forces continue to improve”, the president said.
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FILE – In this May 27, 2016 file photo, a member of a breakaway faction of the Taliban fighters guards a gathering in Shindand district of Herat province, Afghanistan.
