President Barack Obama said on Thursday Afghan troops were still not as strong as they needed to be as he announced his decision to maintain 9,800 US troops in the country through most of next year.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Obama said at the White House. “As commander in chief I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as safe haven for terrorists to attack our nation again.”
Obama said the decision should show the Taliban that the only way to achieve a full drawdown of US troops was to reach a settlement with the Afghan government.
Thursday’s move is the latest in a series of adjustments Obama has made to winding up the American presence in Afghanistan.
The decision follows months of deliberations between Obama, Afghanistan’s leaders, Pentagon officials, field commanders and White House advisers about how best to support Afghan forces, senior administration officials said.
It also comes amid gains by Taliban militants.
The US-led coalition in Afghanistan ended its combat mission after 13 years of war at the end of 2014, and Afghan troops have since been in charge of the nation’s security, with help from US and Nato troops.
