Defense

Afghanistan drawdown announced

President Barack Obama has announced that 9800 troops will be left behind next year when all combat troops pull out of Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Chuck ...

Federal News Radio Custom Media@WTOPWFEDcustom

May 28, 2014 10:20 am

< a min read

President Barack Obama has announced that 9800 troops will be left behind next year when all combat troops pull out of Afghanistan. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said in a statement, “I strongly support the president’s decision to maintain a limited U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan after our combat mission ends there later this year.” Hagel said the move will do two things: “it will help ensure that al- Qaida cannot reconstitute itself in Afghanistan, and it will help us sustain the significant progress we have made in training and equipping the Afghan national security forces.”