U.S. Will Not Withdraw Any Troops From Afghanistan For 2015

Reuters: U.S. to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through end 2015: White House

(Reuters) - The United States will maintain its current 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2015, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday after President Barack Obama met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

"Based on President Ghani's request for flexibility in the U.S. drawdown timeline, the U.S. will maintain its current posture of 9,800 troops through the end of 2015," the White House said.

"The specific trajectory of the 2016 U.S. troop drawdown will be established later in 2015 to enable the U.S. troop consolidation to a Kabul-based embassy presence by the end of 2016," the statement said.

WNU Editor: This is a major shift in U.S. policy, and one that is due to the personal relationship between Afghan President Ghani and President Obama. If President Karzai was still in charge .... I doubt that such an agreement would have happened today.

More News On President Obama's Remarks That The U.S. Will Not Withdraw Any Troops From Afghanistan For 2015

U.S.-Afghanistan Joint Statement -- White House
Obama agrees to slow U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan -- Washington Post
U.S. to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through 2015 -- USA Today
U.S. plans to slow Afghanistan troop withdrawal -- CBS
President Obama Announces Slowdown of Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan -- ABC News
Obama halts Afghanistan troop withdrawal -- CNN
Obama Won't Draw Down US Troops in Afghanistan in 2015 -- VOA
Obama pushes back troop drawdown in Afghanistan until after 2015 -- The Guardian
Ashraf Ghani visit: US to slow Afghan troops withdrawal -- BBC
U.S. will maintain current troop levels in Afghanistan throughout 2015, says Obama, abandoning plans to reduce by nearly half the number of U.S. forces there by year's end -- Daily Mail
US To Slow Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan -- SKY News
US to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan in 2015 at President Ghani's request -- RT
Obama puts drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan on hold -- The Hill
Obama Says No U.S. Troop Drawdown in Afghanistan Before 2016 -- Bloomberg