The basic premise of author is that after 13 years of war, President Barack Obama has declared the end of U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan. “Our combat mission in Afghanistan is ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion,'” Obama said in a statement from Honolulu, where he is spending his Christmas vacation. But that should not be taken to mean that there will be no U.S. forces in the country, nor that they will not be engaged in warfare in the New Year. He mentioned five reasons for the retention of US troops that are:
Afghanistan wants help
American troops will remain in Afghanistan for more time. A
day after his oath taking Afghan President Mohammed Ashraf Ghani signed a
bilateral security agreement with the U.S., extending the American military
presence in his country beyond 2014. Obama has announced plans for a
phased withdrawal of troops over the next two years that will leave about 5,500
there by the end of 2015 and 1,000 by the beginning of 2017.
Withdrawals are already
delayed
The New Year has begun with as many as 10,800 American
troops still in Afghanistan, or about 1,000 more than Obama had
planned. Departing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who announced the withdrawal
slowdown earlier, said delays in Afghanistan's election process and in the
signing of the security agreement left allies unable to commit enough troops in
time. While the extra American troops may stay only for several months, the
need for them underscores continuing tensions between military commanders worried
that Afghan forces aren't ready to stave off the Taliban and a president
determined to keep his promise to end the war on schedule.
Afghan training continues
While the U.S. and allied combat mission is officially over,
American troops who stay on will spend the next two years training and advising
Afghan forces. The Afghans also still need aviation and intelligence support
that the U.S. will provide in 2015. That role could still put U.S. troops
in combat as a Taliban offensive is under way. Kabul, once among the most
secure cities, has been the scene of daily
bombings lately.
The War on Terror isn't over
The U.S. forces are still conducting counterterrorism
operations. As part of their redefined mission for the next two years,
Americans will focus on terrorist threats that may be posed by Taliban leaders
or remnants of al-Qaeda. Those operations could still risk combat casualties,
albeit in smaller numbers.
The Taliban isn't done either
Shortly before declaring combat over, Obama quietly
authorized continuation of some offensive air and ground operations in 2015 to
protect any remaining U.S. forces, ensuring their right of self-defense. The
Taliban and other militants have stepped up attacks across the country in recent
weeks in an attempt to overthrow Ghani's new government. The violence has
killed and wounded about 10,000 civilians in 2014, according to the United
Nations. More than 2,300 Americans have died in the war, which began as an
effort to oust the Taliban after 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.. More than
20,000 U.S. troops have been wounded.
