No Announcement at Camp David on Delaying the US Afghan Withdrawal

State Department photo(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Ghani both said Monday at a Camp David news conference that President Obama is still considering Ghani’s request to delay the pace of this year’s withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.  

Originally the 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan would have been reduced to half that by year’s end and cut to an embassy presence by the end of 2016.  

Ghani has requested that process be delayed to help Afghan troops get through this summer’s fighting season.

“President Obama is actively considering that request,” said Kerry, who indicated that discussion would be the focus of tomorrow’s meetings at the White House between the two presidents.

Ghani said the troops decision “will solely be made by President Obama,” though he also said “numbers are a means; they are not an end in themselves.”

In his opening statement Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the U.S. would provide funding to maintain current Afghan security force levels of 352,000 through 2017, one year more than had been scheduled.  

Carter said providing the funding was “a way of providing some future horizon and stability to that force as it builds itself and takes over an increasing share of the — of the security mission in Afghanistan.”

Afghan troop levels are currently at 330,000 but Ghani made the point that it’s not about troop numbers but about maintaining Afghanistan’s partnership with the U.S. and the international community.

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