NY Times: US Commander Says Forces To Stay in Afghanistan Beyond 2014
The senior American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John R. Allen said Tuesday that American forces could remain in the country beyond 2014, said the New York Times.
The commander's remarks amounted to the most emphatic signal to date that the United States military intended to secure a presence in Afghanistan, possibly for years.
In an interview with The New York Times, Gen. Allen avoided talking about troop levels as America begins to wind down its operations in the war on the Taliban insurgency after almost 10 years.
But he said negotiations with the government of President Hamid Karzai on a strategic partnership agreement would "almost certainly" include "a discussion with Afghanistan of what a post-2014 force will look like."
Other American officials, including members of the Obama administration, have said 2014 is not a hard deadline for military withdrawal.
Also, the United States ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan C. Crocker, said this month that the United States was open to keeping forces here if the Afghanistan government asked for them. Still Gen. Allen , is the highest-ranking American military official to openly suggest the possibility.
"More military trainers and mentors to come into Afghanistan to work with Afghan troops starting in 2012 are expected" he said.
At the same time, American Special Operations forces, who are heavily involved in many intelligence-driven raids as well as larger and often more dangerous operations, would remain at current levels or increase even as conventional troops were reduced, General Allen said.
His comments come as the American public's exhaustion with the war and resentment of its cost has increased.
The administration of US President Barack Obama has said American troops would depart by the end of 2014.
Currently, there are nearly 150,000 US-led foreign forces, mostly Americans, in Afghanistan.
Source: NY Times, edited by moqawama.org
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