Obama announces plan to keep more troops in Afghanistan

154-a-12-(Stephen Biddle, George Washington University professor who has advised US commanders in Afghanistan, in AP interview)-“anybody’s election prospect”-Stephen Biddle, a George Washington University professor who has advised USA commanders in Afghanistan, says the president’s decision to push the war to his successor likely will not have much political impact”.

Mr Obama’s U-turn is a setback for a president who promised the American electorate when he was seeking office that he would end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring American troops home. Under the revised plan, the 9,800 troops in country will stay through most of next year. Senior administration officials maintained the troops will not be serving a combat role, and will continue to advise, assist and train Afghan Security Forces.

The president’s decision to keep the U.S. military in Afghanistan beyond his term of office thrusts the conflict into the 2016 race for the White House.

Obama expressed his gratitude for Afghanis that have been “bravely and tenaciously” fighting the infamous militant group and insisted that he is not deterred by the change of plans.

The new US approach follows an increase in violence in Afghanistan.

U.S. troops also remained in Iraq – despite being originally withdrawn in 2011 – and have also started bombing IS in Syria.

According to the BBC, the U.S. forces will be stationed in four locations – Kabul, Bagram, Jalalabad and Kandahar.

Under the new plan, troop numbers would be wound down to 5,500 from 2017.

McCain, one of Obama’s biggest foreign policy critics, said it would have been far better to halt all further troop withdrawals and allow the next president to determine what is warranted based on conditions on the ground. Those efforts were marred in Kunduz by a US aerial assault on a hospital that killed 22 people, including 12 aid workers, and injuring dozens more.

Obama previously indicated that he wanted to reduce to 1,000 the troop level in Afghanistan through 2016 but military leaders and Congress have expressed concerns that withdrawing remaining forces would lead to a collapse of the security structure there.

During his talks, the prime minister would also hold discussions with him (President Obama) on bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, education, defence, counterterrorism, health and climate change.

The president’s decision to keep the USA military in Afghanistan beyond his tenure thrusts the conflict into the 2016 presidential race. They said it would cost $14.6 billion to keep the larger force in the country, while Obama’s original Kabul-only presence would have cost about $10 billion.