News

Actions

Obama expected to announce new drawdown in Afghanistan

Posted
and last updated
Update: WASHINGTON (AP) -- People briefed on Obama's Afghanistan plan say he will leave about 8,400 troops there at year's end.
 
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is set to announce the number of troops he plans to leave in Afghanistan when he leaves office.
 
The White House says the president will make a statement from the Roosevelt Room with Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Joseph Dunford.
 
Obama had planned to drop troop levels from 9,800 to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. But Taliban resurgence has forced Washington to rethink its exit strategy.
 
Obama's announcement comes a day before he heads to a NATO summit in Poland, where Afghanistan is high on the agenda.
 
U.S. military leaders have urged Obama not to stick with his planned drawdown. They say a larger force is need to continue to provide security and logistics support for those allies.