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Obama agrees to slow U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan Obama agrees to slow U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
(about 1 hour later)
President Obama on Tuesday met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and agreed to keep about 9,800 troops in the country through the end of this year, slowing the planned American drawdown.President Obama on Tuesday met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and agreed to keep about 9,800 troops in the country through the end of this year, slowing the planned American drawdown.
But Obama said that he would stick to the current plan to close the remaining U.S. bases and consolidate U.S. forces in Kabul by the end of 2016, effectively ending the longest war in U.S. history. But Obama said that he would stick to the current plan to close the remaining American bases and consolidate U.S. forces in Kabul by the end of 2016, effectively ending the longest war in U.S. history.
“This visit is an opportunity to begin a new chapter in the partnership between our two nations,” Obama said. “We agreed to keep in place our close security cooperation. Afghanistan remains a very dangerous place.” “Afghanistan is still a dangerous place,” but the only way for it to become less dangerous is for Afghan security forces and police to provide security in the country, Obama said.
The meeting in the Oval Office came as the administration is deliberating over how many troops to leave in the country before ending the 14-year mission entirely by January 2017. Vice President Biden and Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also took part in some of the high-level discussions. “That is not going to happen if foreign forces are continually relied upon,” he said.
Ahead of the meeting, the White House said the pair would “discuss a range of issues including security, economic development, and U.S. support for the Afghan-led reconciliation process.” The meeting in the Oval Office came as the administration was deliberating how to end the 14-year mission entirely by January 2017. Vice President Biden and Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also took part in some of the high-level discussions.
For Ghani, the visit to Washington was a chance to show how much has changed in the U.S.-Afghan relationship in the months since he took over the presidency. Relations between Ghani’s predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and the U.S. government had been steadily deteriorating for years.
Obama seized the opportunity to laud Ghani as a more reliable partner, saying that he “has taken on the mantle of commander in chief in a way that we have not seen in the past from an Afghan president.”
[Ghani and Abdullah: The importance of the U.S.-Afghanistan alliance]
Ghani and Obama highlighted their shared experiences in their joint appearance. Both men studied at Columbia University and Ghani spent several years working at the World Bank, just down the street from the White House.
The White House used the meeting with the Afghan leader to renew its commitments to support Afghan forces financially, promising to support Afghanistan's plan for an army and police force of as many as 352,000 troops through 2017. Such a force would cost in excess of $4.1 billion, a price tag well beyond the means of the Afghan government.
The Obama administration also promised $800 million in economic and development assistance to Afghanistan.
Ghani, meanwhile, suggested that true peace in Afghanistan could only come through reconciliation with elements of the Taliban. “Any political difference, anything that divides us must be resolved politically,” he said.
The Afghan leader said that his government would not seek peace with any groups who seek to use Afghan territory as “a launching pad for global terrorism.”
In a nod to U.S. officials and human rights advocates concerned about the mistreatment of women, Ghani reiterated his commitment to women’s rights and noted that about 20 percent of his cabinet ministers are women.
“Hopefully, one day, we will see an Afghan woman president,” he said.
Though the White House announced a plan in May to wind down the U.S. troop presence to fewer than 10,000 forces by the end of 2014, increasing violence and months of political turmoil following Afghanistan’s elections last year convinced the administration to delay the deadline.Though the White House announced a plan in May to wind down the U.S. troop presence to fewer than 10,000 forces by the end of 2014, increasing violence and months of political turmoil following Afghanistan’s elections last year convinced the administration to delay the deadline.
Both Ghani and U.S. military officials have been pushing to slow the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Their requests were driven in part by the increase in deaths among Afghan civilians and security forces during the past year.Both Ghani and U.S. military officials have been pushing to slow the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Their requests were driven in part by the increase in deaths among Afghan civilians and security forces during the past year.
Shortly before Obama and Ghani appeared, several former U.S. ambassadors to Afghanistan and former senior officials from the Obama and Bush administration’s made public an open letter to Obama calling on him to reconsider his plans to end the war.Shortly before Obama and Ghani appeared, several former U.S. ambassadors to Afghanistan and former senior officials from the Obama and Bush administration’s made public an open letter to Obama calling on him to reconsider his plans to end the war.
“A full U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2016 will unnecessarily put at risk hard-won gains of the last 13 years that came in part through the great sacrifices of American soldiers, diplomats, intelligence officers and development professionals,” the letters states.“A full U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2016 will unnecessarily put at risk hard-won gains of the last 13 years that came in part through the great sacrifices of American soldiers, diplomats, intelligence officers and development professionals,” the letters states.
The administration originally aimed to reduce the number to 5,500 by the end of this year.The administration originally aimed to reduce the number to 5,500 by the end of this year.
But administration officials have been adamant the overall goal hasn’t changed. The president is determined to leave office with fewer than 1,000 U.S. personnel in Afghanistan, based at an office of security cooperation in Kabul, officials said.But administration officials have been adamant the overall goal hasn’t changed. The president is determined to leave office with fewer than 1,000 U.S. personnel in Afghanistan, based at an office of security cooperation in Kabul, officials said.