Defense

Troops need four months to leave Afghanistan

The Pentagon has worked up plans that would allow American forces to remain in Afghanistan beyond the end of the year if the contested presidential election dra...

Federal News Radio Custom Media@WTOPWFEDcustom

August 26, 2014 9:32 am

< a min read

The Pentagon has worked up plans that would allow American forces to remain in Afghanistan beyond the end of the year if the contested presidential election drags on and a security agreement isn’t signed soon. The Associate Press is reporting that shortly before landing in Kabul for a visit, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, told reporters accompanying him on the trip that under optimal circumstances the U.S. would need about 120 days to pull all troops and equipment out of the country if there is no agreement allowing them to stay into 2015.