Barack Obama delays withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan - The Guardian

After months of deliberation within his administration, the US president said he would leave 5,500 US forces in Afghanistan  beyond his departure from office in January 2017.  Barack Obama has abandoned his longstanding goal of ending the war in Afghanistan – the longest in US history – and suggested he may need to make further adjustments in troop numbers before his presidency ends.

The present force of 9,800 US troops will remain in the country throughout most of next year. Those who remain into 2017 will be dispersed at three major hubs around the country, training the fledgling Afghan security services and hunting Taliban and al-Qaida targets. “This isn’t the first time those adjustments have been made, this probably won’t be the last,” Obama said.

Acknowledging that he will not end the war that he escalated and then pledged to “responsibly” conclude, Obama said: “I suspect we will continue to evaluate this going forward, as will the next president.”  “Afghan forces are still not as strong as they need to be … meanwhile the Taliban has made gains,” he added.

“Every day Afghan forces are dying to support their country, they are not looking for us to do it for them,” he said.

He also called on American voters to have patience with his strategy, which has been criticised for encouraging Taliban resistance by repeatedly promising that Nato forces would withdraw.  “I know that many of you have grown weary of this conflict,” said Obama. “I do not support the idea of endless war … yet, given what’s at stake in Afghanistan and the opportunity for a stable and committed ally that can partner with us in preventing the emergence of future threats … I am firmly convinced that we should make this extra effort.”

To US forces, which have suffered 25 fatalities this year, he added: “I do not send you into harm’s way lightly – this is the most solemn decision I make – but as your commander in chief I believe this mission is vital to our national security.”

Beyond his presidency, Afghanistan will be a “key piece of the network of counter-terrorism partnership we need” throughout the Middle East and south Asia, Obama said. - Read More

Barack Obama delays withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan