McCain Denounces US Troop Withdrawal Plan In Afghanistan - Agence France-Presse

KABUL — Influential Senator John McCain said Saturday the complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016 would be a "serious mistake", as stretched local forces battle a resurgent Taliban.

"I think the most serious mistake the US could make ... would be to have a calendar-based withdrawal," McCain told a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Kabul.  "That would be a tragedy and in my view an opening for the Taliban to gain great success in Afghanistan," the chairman of the powerful US Senate Committee on Armed Services added.

July 4 marks US Independence Day, and McCain used the visit to meet soldiers stationed in the Afghan capital, while paying tribute to the 2,200 US troops killed there since the 2001 invasion.

NATO's combat mission formally ended in December after 13 years, but a small follow-up foreign force named Resolute Support has stayed on.

But the current US administration would like to see a total exit for its personnel over the next 15 months, a decision McCain said required a "reassessment".  The Republican senator added that the current security situation pointed to the need for "additional US capabilities" as Afghan forces incurred significant casualties with major cities under threat.

"There's a long, long way to go," he said. - Read More at McCain Denounces 

McCain Denounces US Troop Withdrawal Plan In Afghanistan