Obama to keep 8,400 troops in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON

U.S. President Barack Obama announced Wednesday to leave 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, marking a change of plans in the drawdown of U.S. troops in the country.

“Instead of going down to 5500 troops by the end of this year, the United States will maintain approximately 8400 troops in Afghanistan into next year through the end of my administration,” he said during a press briefing at the White House.

The current level of troops in Afghanistan is 9,800.

Obama said he reached that conclusion based on recommendations from General Nicholson Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, as well as Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff Joseph Dunford, and following consultations with Congress and the Afghan government.

Upon taking command of coalition forces in Afghanistan this spring, General Nicholson conducted a review of the security situation in Afghanistan and submitted his report to the White House in June according to the Pentagon.

"The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious," Obama said. "I strongly believe it is in our national security interest ... that we give our Afghan partners the best opportunities to succeed."

In several testimonies to the Congress, Pentagon leaders also told lawmakers that the security situation is deteriorating in Afghanistan as Taliban has been taking on Afghan security forces in several keys cities across the country.