US to leave 8,400 troops in Afghanistan
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WASHINGTON- President Barack Obama's decision to slow the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan will be welcomed at the NATO summit this weekend, providing aid for allied forces in the country and bolstering US efforts to get more pledges of support for the war from US allies.
Obama's move quells lingering questions within NATO about America's commitment to the ongoing conflict. And it will allow the US military to expand its work with Afghan forces as they face a resurgent Taliban and a troubling presence of Islamic State fighters in the country.
The president announced Wednesday that he will leave 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan into 2017, rather than cut the force to 5,500 at the end of the year as initially planned.
