Reversing policy on Afghanistan, President Barack Obama announced yesterday he will prolong the 14-year-old US military engagement there, effectively handing off the task of pulling out troops to his successor.
Calling it a “modest but meaningful” adjustment to winding down the American presence in Afghanistan, Mr Obama said the US will maintain a force of 9,800 through most of 2016.
Mr Obama had previously aimed to withdraw all but a small US-embassy based force in the capital, Kabul, before he leaves office in January 2017. Under the new plan, troops will be drawn down to 5,500 starting sometime in 2017 and will be based at four locations – Kabul, Bagram, Jalalabad and Kandahar.
If they fail, it would endanger the security of us all
Afghanistan’s stability is vital to the US and Afghan troops who are now in charge of security are not yet as strong as they need to be, Mr Obama said, adding, “If they were to fail, it would endanger the security of us all.”
Asked by a reporter if he was disappointed in having to make the decision, Mr Obama said he was not, and added, “This isn’t the first time those adjustments have been made. This probably won’t be the last.”
“I suspect that we will continue to evaluate this going forward, as will the next president,” he said. The US-led coalition in Afghanistan ended its combat mission after 13 years of war at the end of 2014, and Afghan troops have since been in charge of the country’s security.
But Afghan forces have struggled in assaults from Taliban militants, who briefly took over the northern city of Kunduz. Obama acknowledged militants are still capable of launching deadly attacks on cities including Kabul. US troops will remain out of combat roles, training and advising Afghan forces, and ensuring that any al-Qaeda remnants do not pose a threat to US security, Mr Obama said.
Mr Obama, a Democrat, has faced steady criticism from Republicans on security issues as he has pursued a policy of winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since he first took office in 2009.