Barack Obama to keep 9800 USA troops in Afghanistan till 2016

President Barack Obama’s decision to drop plans for a radical reduction in USA forces next year was greeted with relief by the administration in Kabul, which had feared being abandoned by its most powerful ally. (As Obama noted Thursday, 25 Americans have died in Afghanistan this year, compared with almost 500 in 2010.) These limits make it easier to accept Obama’s contention that thousands of US trainers and advisors need to remain in Afghanistan to protect America’s stake in the country and assist its struggling government. It also comes on the heels of the Taliban’s first takeover of any Afghan city, at a time when “the security situation is still very fragile, and in a few places there is risk of deterioration”, Obama said.

The Afghan government has welcomed the U.S. decision to extend its military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2016.

Fourteen years after the US invaded Afghanistan, the fight still isn’t over.

The US Government had earlier announced to delay the withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan and maintain its presence in the country till 2017.

“I respect the President’s hard decision to contravene his political objectives in the face of the heartbreaking, tragic facts on the ground”. He firmly believes that the original mission of the United States in Afghanistan should be seen through to completion.

Obama’s plan largely lines up with what military commanders had requested, though a few proposals have called for higher numbers.

Navy veteran Shelby Peterson said, thought it may be a crucial step for the mission, she knows firsthand how hard the news is for families.

He vowed to remove USA troops from Afghanistan immediately if elected president.

US officials have hinted at the policy shift for weeks.

The larger force of about 5,000 troops in the country in 2017 is projected to cost about $15 billion a year, about $5 billion more than the smaller, 1,000-person force would have cost.

The Americans will counsel and train Afghan troops but also engage in strikes against insurgents.

According to the president, the troops are necessary because the mission will continue to be counter-terrorism and training of Afghan forces. During the fighting, a US air attack hit a hospital, killing 12 Doctors Without Borders staff and 10 patients.

Only a swift response by US-trained Afghan security forces led to an eventual Taliban retreat. “The Northern Alliance was assigned to flee without resistance and they were advised to seek USA air support to retake the city”, said the Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) chief Gudbuddin Hekmatyar, referring to speeches delivered by Dr Abdullah Abdullah in New York and Washington, at the time of the Taliban’s brief control of Kunduz.