Obama decides to keep around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan through 2015

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced to maintain the current level of troops “around 10,000” through 2015, as he acceded to his Afghan counterpart’s request to slow down the drawdown of American troops as a measure to ease security transition in his country. However, Obama made it clear that the current military support mission in Afghanistan would end by the conclusion of next year, 2016. After a series of White House meetings with President Ashraf Ghani, Obama noted that Afghanistan still remains a “dangerous place” and with the new unity government in place in Kabul (after Hamid Karzai’s exit) as well as the end to 13-year-old war, the US and Afghanistan had an opportunity to begin a “new chapter” in the bilateral relations.
Afghanistan will be a less dangerous place, when the Afghans are ready to assume full control of enforcing security because the American and international forces have to leave at some point in time.
Jointly addressing a Press Conference with President Obama, the new Afghan leader Ghani expressed the hope for success of an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process.
Obama’s announcement means that there would be no more troops drawdown this year from the insurgency-hit country and that the US would maintain a 9,800 troops force level in Afghanistan through 2015.
Originally, Obama had planned to reduce the number of American troops to 5,500 by the end of year, with a complete drawdown set by the end of 2016.“That has not changed,” he said categorically of the plan to complete the military withdrawal by 2016-end. Obama has promised to end the current military support mission-that began this January after the December 2014-end to the military combat launched in October 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 al-Qaeda terrorist attacks - would conclude by the time he leaves the White House upon completion of his second presidential term.
“Providing this additional timeframe —- is well worth,” Obama said, explaining the rationale for keeping the current troops level in Afghanistan in consultation with his military commanders.“The US considers Afghanistan a reliable partner, the commitments are considerable,” he said, welcoming the flexibility shown by President Obama.