STOCKHOLM: US President Barack Obama will announce in the next few weeks how many combat troops the US will leave in Afghanistan in 2014, Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday.
Obama has set 2014 as the target for withdrawing most troops but the decision is a delicate one as sufficient forces must stay behind to train and support Afghan forces and carry out some operations.
Kerry declined to discuss how many troops might remain but said: “He (Obama) is committed to supporting the Afghan military beyond 2014.” He said Afghanistan was beginning its first “fighting season” with its forces holding most responsibility for operations and they were doing well.
In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said said Kerry hoped to visit Pakistan once the new government of Nawaz Sharif was in place.
Kerry spoke to Sharif on the phone on Sunday “to congratulate him on his strong showing in Saturday’s election,” Psaki said. Kerry also told Sharif that “he looks forward to working with the government.” Agencies
