President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced that the scheduled reduction of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will be decelerated and, when he leaves office next January, 8,400 U.S. soldiers will still remain in that country, significantly more than the 5,500 he initially had promised.

In a White House speech, Obama noted that “The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious. I strongly believe … that it is in our national security interest that we give our Afghan partners the best opportunities to succeed” against the threat from the Taliban, who have gained territory in some areas of the country.

Nine months ago, Obama announced that he would keep about 9,800 troops in the Central Asian nation during 2016 to help local forces with training and anti-terrorism missions, and he postponed until January 2017, when he is due to leave the White House, reducing their numbers to 5,500 soldiers.

But on Wednesday, the president said that – after hearing the recommendations of Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of the international mission in Afghanistan, Pentagon leadership, NATO partners and the Kabul government – the parties had decided to delay the previously planned troop drawdown.

Obama recalled that in December 2014 he established a goal of bringing the Afghanistan invasion to a “responsible” end after in September 2001 the United States invaded the country to destroy the Taliban regime but for years now has been focusing on training, advising and counterterrorism activities.

Obama said that “We are no longer engaged in a major ground war in Afghanistan,” although the fight is not over. “Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be. The Taliban remains a threat. They’ve gained ground in some cases.”

He noted that over the past year the Taliban have killed 38 U.S. troops, and the country remains a “dangerous place.”

Washington and its NATO partners said that the “combat mission” in Afghanistan was over in December 2014, and Obama established a plan to gradually withdraw U.S. troops over the remainder of his term in office.

However, the White House has modified the withdrawal schedule, while Washington’s NATO allies have promised to allocate funds to security missions in the country through 2020. EFE

Washington, Jul 6 (EFE)