U.S. Military Withdrawal From Afghanistan Under Review

Reuters: New U.S. defense chief: withdrawal from Afghanistan under review

(Reuters) - Washington is reviewing a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by 2016 to ensure that "progress sticks" after more than a decade of war, new U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters in Kabul on Saturday.

Under the current plan, the United States will halve the number of troops in Afghanistan to 5,000 this year, gradually winding down to a "normal" U.S. embassy presence by 2016.

That schedule could now change, said Carter on his first trip abroad since swearing in as the Pentagon chief on Tuesday, as the United States rethinks the future of its counter-terrorism mission in Afghanistan.

His remarks set the stage for talks next month when the Afghan president is expected in Washington.

More News On Reports That The U.S. Military Withdrawal From Afghanistan Is Now Under Review

U.S. reconsidering 2016 Afghanistan troop withdrawal, defense chief says -- CNN
Pentagon Chief: US Considering Slowing Exit From Afghanistan -- AP
Defense Secretary Carter Hints At Slowing U.S. Exit From Afghanistan -- NPR
Carter: Unified Afghan gov't a reason to slow troop drawdown -- AP
New Pentagon Chief Tells Afghan Leaders He’ll Reassess U.S. Exit -- Bloomberg
US signals likely delay in troop pullout from Afghanistan -- AFP
Ashton Carter, Defense Secretary, in Afghanistan for Security Talks -- New York Times
New Defense Secretary Ashton Carter makes first Afghanistan visit -- FOX News/AP
New U.S. secretary of defense visits troops in Afghanistan -- CNN
Defense Secretary Carter Arrives in Afghanistan Seeking ‘Lasting Result’ -- Defense One