Pentagon Report Foresees Continued Support for Afghanistan
Source: New York Times
WASHINGTON — Following reports in recent weeks that the White House is considering a full withdrawal from Afghanistan when the NATO-led mission ends in December 2014, a Pentagon assessment released Tuesday says significant foreign military assistance and financial support for Afghan security forces will be required long after United States troops are expected to depart.
“Beyond then, it will still require substantial training, advising and assistance — including financial support — to address ongoing shortcomings,” said the report, titled “Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan.”
President Obama has ordered American troop levels, which were at 68,000 earlier this year, to be cut in half by February. Negotiations are under way with the Afghan government on a bilateral security agreement, including whether American military personnel will remain after the NATO mandate expires at the end of 2014.
The twice-yearly report, required by Congress, covers the period from Oct. 1, 2012, to March 31, 2013; it therefore concludes before the start of the annual fighting season, which begins in earnest with the spring thaw. Like its predecessors, the report presents a grave assessment of the challenges remaining for Afghan security, rule of law and economic prosperity, but it also seeks to identify many silver linings of promise among the dark clouds of war.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/31/world/asia/pentagon-report-foresees-continued-support-for-afghanistan.html
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