Obama administration weighs Afghan request to slow withdrawal of US troops
President Barack Obama is considering a request from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to slow the pace of the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.
"President Ghani has requested some flexibility in the troop drawdown timeline and base closure sequencing over the next two years, and we are actively considering that request," the official said, speaking on background.
Ghani will travel to Washington next month to meet with Obama. Last month, the Afghan president spoke publicly about the US plan to halve the number of troops in Afghanistan in 2015 and cut them further in 2016. He made clear he would prefer a longer timeline and said: "deadlines should not be dogmas."
