(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Shington may 28 (qna) - with combat operations in afghanistan ending this year us president barack obama announced he plans for almost 10000 american troops to remain in the country in 2015 if the afghan government signs a security agreement.
"we will bring america's longest war to a responsible end" obama said in the white house rose garden in detailing the strategy to have virtually all u.s. forces out of afghanistan by the end of 2016 -- shortly before his presidency ends.
the announcement offered something to proponents and opponents of a continued u.s. military engagement there after more than 12 years of war -- the longest in american history.
obama called for 9800 u.s. troops to stay in afghanistan after the end of 2014 along with some allied forces. the number would get cut roughly in half by the end of 2015 and a year later -- less than a month before obama leaves the white house -- the u.s. military presence would scale down to what officials described as a "normal" embassy security contingent.
a senior administration official told cnn that after 2016 the number of u.s. service members in afghanistan providing embassy security and engaging in cooperative security efforts with the host government and military would likely number about 1000. (qna)
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