Hagel Says 10,800 US Forces Will Remain in Afghanistan Next Year
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US Senate(WASHINGTON) — In what will likely be his last visit to Afghanistan as defense secretary, Chuck Hagel announced over the weekend that as many as 10,800 U.S. soldiers will remain next year once most coalition forces have pulled out of the country.
Although the Taliban has been more active in recent weeks ahead of the predicted winter lull in attacks, the reason for the added presence of American forces has more to do with the delayed signing of the bilateral security agreement between Washington and Kabul due to President Ashraf Ghani taking office late in the year.
Meanwhile, Hagel, who is stepping down as defense chief, says that despite the Taliban remaining a threat to Afghanistan’s fragile democracy, the security situation is much improved compared to just a few years ago, thanks in part to the Afghan forces taking over the fight from American soldiers.
As for what the U.S. role in Afghanistan will be in the future, Hagel remarked, “It’s planning. It’s training. It’s transitioning. It’s in agreement with everybody, knowing what the objectives are every month, as we transition out and help build their capacity.”
Hagel, who served in Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Division and was wounded twice, added that he still feels a deep kinship with soldiers.
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