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Obama seeks plans for a total troop pull-out from Afghanistan
Published on
Tuesday, 25 February 2014
10:58 pm
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world news
US plans full troop pullout from Afghanistan
Washington: US President Barack Obama has told the Pentagon to prepare for the possibility that
the United States will not leave behind any troops in Afghanistan after its
troop drawdown at the end of this year, the White House said on Tuesday.
Obama conveyed the message in a
phone call to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who has been balking at signing a bilateral security
agreement that the United States insists it must have before agreeing to leave
a contingent of troops behind for counter-terrorism operations and training.
“Specifically, President Obama has
asked the Pentagon to ensure that it has adequate plans in place to accomplish
an orderly withdrawal by the end of the year should the United States not keep
any troops in Afghanistan after 2014,” the White House said.
The statement came as defense
secretary Chuck Hagel flew to Brussels for a NATO defense ministers meeting at
which Afghanistan is to be discussed.
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