Obama expected Tuesday to announce change in US troop withdraw
FILE: March 18, 2015: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani speaks at a military academy in Kabul, Afghanistan.(AP)
President Obama is expected to announce in the coming days a modified plan on U.S. troop withdraw in Afghanistan to help that countrys new government fight the Taliban and other emerging insurgent groups.
New Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has asked Obama to consider some flexibility in his plan to reduce the number of non-combat U.S. troops from 10,000 to 5,500 by years end, as part of his governments emerging national security strategy. And he is expected to make his case personally when he visits the United States from Sunday through Tuesday.
The White House acknowledged Friday that Ghani and Obama have talked about the issue three times in the past four months and that U.S. military officials have presented some recommendations to Obamas team, based on Ghanis concerns.
Jeff Eggers, the National Security Councils senior director for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said that he expects Obama will make a statement on the issue Tuesday, after meeting in Washington with Ghani.
But no decisions have been made yet, he told reporters.
Obama in December 2014 ended Americas combat mission in Afghanistan, bringing an official close to his countrys 13-year war in the country. With two years remaining in the White House, the president would likely want to end all occupation in the largely unpopular war, in which there have been roughly 2,200 U.S. military deaths.
However, Obama has faced sharped criticism from Capitol Hill Republicans and other military hawks for pulling forces out of Iraq, which has now become a hotbed for the growing and dangerous Islamic State radical group.
Ghani hopes to leave Washington next week with a firm commitment for American military support in his fight against an Islamic State affiliate, which he and U.S. military leaders fear is also finding a foothold in Afghanistan.
Ghani's relationship with Washington stands in stark contrast to that of his acrimonious predecessor, Hamid Karzai, whose antagonism toward the U.S. culminated in a refusal to sign security agreements with Washington and NATO before leaving office.
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Obama expected Tuesday to announce change in US troop withdraw