Obama said leaving more troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office will give the next USA president a solid foundation for continued progress in Afghanistan as well as the flexibility to address the threat of terrorism as it evolves..
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The current number of United States troops in Afghanistan is about 1,400 who are joined by 41 allies and partners, a coalition that contributes more than 6,000 troops its own. The move demonstrates his administration’s continuing struggle to withdraw from the conflict there, more than two years after the United States announced it would officially end its combat operations. “We resolve to carry on the mission for which they gave their last full measure of devotion, the president said”.
Obama’s announcement will help shape his legacy.
Obama, who took office in 2009 pledging to wind down the war in Afghanistan-the U.S.’s longest-said he had ended the combat mission in Afghanistan, which had 40,000 committed troops when he first took office.
“In short, even as we’ve maintained a relentless, you know, case against those who are threatening us, we are no longer engaged in a major ground war in Afghanistan”.
The Arizona Republican says Obama’s announcement is preferable to cutting the troop level by almost half.
“President Obama’s announcement today is a belated recognition that the war in Afghanistan has not yet been won”, added House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. The Afghan police the ALP, is not doing well, said Cordesman.
The United Nations estimates the Taliban now controls more Afghan territory than at any other time since the USA -led invasion following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Obama said the decision to leave more troops in Afghanistan was reached in consultation with his military and national security advisers, members of Congress and Afghan leaders.
Michael Kugelman, a senior associate for South and Southeast Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, says that more than 100,000 USA troops did not bring peace and calm to the country or end its long-running war.
Obama’s move quells lingering questions within North Atlantic Treaty Organisation about America’s commitment.
Around 9,800 U.S. troops are now in Afghanistan, reportedly training Afghan forces to battle militant groups such Daesh and the Taliban.
This morning the president announced more than 8,400 troops would remain in Afghanistan at the end of his term.
Obama heads to Poland on Thursday to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit, where he is expected to lay out his plan on Friday in Warsaw for Afghanistan and the rest of the region.
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The decision will leave the planned troop levels in place until Obama’s successor takes office in January 2017. He said his decision should help the next president make good decisions about the future of USA involvement. Doing so may result in civil and/or criminal penalties. Please see our terms of service for more information.
