Although President Obama had been planning to end the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2016, he decided today (October 15, 2015) to extend the mission beyond that time, as the Taliban terrorist group recently gained control of much land in the country, the ABC News website reports.
"As commander in chief, I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven for terrorists to attack our nation again," Obama said today. "Afghan forces are still not as strong as they need to be."
The President had planned to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016 except those needed to protect the U.S. embassy in Kabul. With today's change of strategy, at least 5,500 U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan beyond 2016.
A new United Nations study released last week shows that the Taliban threat level is now "high" in half of Afghanistan's administrative districts. The study also reveals that the Taliban is operating in more of Afghanistan than at any time since 2001, when the U.S. sent its first troops there.
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