U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan Ahead Of Schedule

US officials say they will reduce their forces to 8,600 troops by July 15 and abandon five bases [Omar Sobhani/Reuters]

Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan down to close to 8,600 ahead of schedule - sources

WASHINGTON/MUMBAI (Reuters) - U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan is down to nearly 8,600, well ahead of a schedule agreed with Taliban militants in late February, in part because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, U.S. and NATO officials said.

A key provision of the Feb. 29 agreement between the Taliban and the United States, to which the Afghan government was not a party, involved a U.S. commitment to reduce its military footprint in Afghanistan from about 13,000 to 8,600 by mid-July and, conditions permitting, to zero by May 2021.

Two senior sources in Kabul said the 8,600 target was likely to be achieved by early June.

Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the United States was close to 8,600 troops and could reach that number in coming days.

“Due to COVID-19 concerns, we are moving towards that planned drawdown faster than anticipated,” one of the officials said.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan Being Ahead Of Schedule

US withdrawing troops from Afghanistan ahead of schedule: report -- The Hill
Report: Pentagon to present Afghanistan timelines to Trump, including one for a withdrawal by Election Day -- Military Times
Trump promises again to ‘bring our soldiers home’ from Afghanistan -- Military Times
Trump wants troops in Afghanistan back stateside by Election Day: report -- The Hill
Trump says he wants full Afghanistan pullout but sets no timeline -- Al Jazeera
‘I Have No Target’: Trump Wants US Troops to Return From Afghanistan ‘as Soon as is Reasonable’ -- Sputnik

President Obama Announces That Thousands Of U.S. Troops Will Remain In Afghanistan Beyond 2016

New York Times: Obama Announces Halt of U.S. Troop Withdrawal in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — The United States will halt its military withdrawal from Afghanistan and instead keep thousands of troops in the country through the end of his term in 2017, President Obama announced on Thursday, prolonging the American role in a war that has now stretched on for 14 years.

In a brief statement from the Roosevelt Room in the White House, Mr. Obama said he did not support the idea of “endless war” but was convinced that a prolonged American presence in Afghanistan was vital to that country’s future and to the national security of the United States.

WNU Editor: I was expecting President Obama to make this announcement at the end of this year. The fact that he is doing it now tells me that they (i.e. the White House) must have information that any delay would actually make the situation and uncertainty in Afghanistan worse. as to President Obama's announcement itself .... this is not only a major policy reversal .... but it also an admission of failure. But here is the rub .... I doubt that keeping 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan will make a difference, and if the Taliban launch a major offensive next year, do not be surprised if we start hearing reports that the U>S. will actually increase these numbers.

More News On President Obama Slowing Down The U.S. Military Withdrawal From Afghanistan

'The mission will not change': Obama to keep troops in Afghanistan – live updates -- The Guardian
Transcript: Obama’s Remarks on Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal Shift -- WSJ
In policy reversal, Obama slows pace of U.S. troop withdrawal in Afghanistan -- Reuters
Afghan troops not as strong as needed, U.S. forces to stay: Obama -- Reuters
In Major Afghanistan Shift, Obama Drops Plan to Withdraw Most U.S. Forces -- WSJ
Obama reversing course on Afghanistan troop withdrawal -- The Hill
Obama: U.S. troops will stick to "narrow but critical" mission in Afghanistan -- CBS
Obama Announces Thousands of Troops Will Remain In Afghanistan Beyond 2016 -- ABC News
Obama to keep 5,500 US troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016 -- FOX News
Obama: 5,500 troops to stay in Afghanistan -- USA Today
Obama to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016, senior officials say -- Washington Times
US troops to stay in Afghanistan in policy shift -- BBC
Barack Obama delays withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan -- The Guardian
Obama defends plan to keep troops in Afghanistan -- Politico
Obama's Goal of Ending Two Wars Now Slipping Beyond His Grasp -- Bloomberg
Obama to keep 5,500 US troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office – officials -- RT
Obama to extend US military role in Afghanistan -- Al Jazeera
McCain: Obama should have halted Afghan withdrawal -- The Hill
Russia skeptical U.S. troop plan will help Afghanistan: RIA -- Reuters
This map explains why Obama decided to leave thousands of troops in Afghanistan -- Washington Post
The impossibility of withdrawing from Afghanistan, visualized -- Washington Post
Why US Troops Are Staying Longer in Afghanistan -- ABC News

White House Officials: President Obama Is 'Rethinking' A U.S. Force Pullout From Afghanistan

Afghan National Army troops distribute aid to the civilians of Kunduz, Afghanistan October 14, 2015. The Taliban said they were pulling back in the northern city of Kunduz on Tuesday in order to protect civilians, but fighting continued elsewhere in the country with government troops battling to reopen the main highway south of the capital Kabul. Stringer/Reuters

New York Times: Obama Is Rethinking Pullout in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — With pressure building on the White House to slow or completely halt the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, senior officials said that President Obama appears increasingly willing to keep a force there large enough to carry on the hunt for Al Qaeda and Islamic State militants.

For President Obama, leaving more than a small force to protect the embassy in Kabul beyond next year would mean abandoning his goal to bring home almost all American troops before leaving office. But even though Mr. Obama has declared the American war in Afghanistan to be over, the Taliban’s recent advances have convinced the Pentagon, many in Congress and much of the national security establishment in Washington that it is critical for American troops to remain there.

Update #1: A Rethink on Afghanistan? -- Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic
Update #2: Is Obama rethinking his vow to bring troops home from Afghanistan? -- Kelsey Warner, CSM

WNU Editor: President Obama's officials are saying that he is "rethinking" pulling out US forces from Afghanistan. No one is being fooled .... this is the White House's way to lay the groundwork before they make the official announcement that U.S. troops will not leave Afghanistan. Expect that announcement before the end of the year (if not sooner).

U.S. Reviewing Withdrawal Plans For Afghanistan. Thousands of U.S. Soldiers May Stay Beyond 2016

U.S. soldiers arrive at the site of a car bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 17, 2015. REUTERS/MOHAMMAD ISMAIL

IBTimes: US, Allies Considering Keeping Thousands Of Troops In Afghanistan Beyond 2016 Amid Pullback Plans: Report

The U.S. and allied defense officials are considering keeping thousands of American troops in Afghanistan beyond the end of 2016, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The officials are reportedly concerned about the plans of White House to scale back the U.S. presence in Afghanistan.

Authorities are reviewing new options that include keeping the current U.S. presence at or near 10,000; reducing it slightly to 8,000; or continuing with the current drawdown plans, the newspaper reported. U.S. Army Gen. John Campbell, the top international commander in Afghanistan, had sent five different recommendations to the Pentagon and the NATO officials, the Journal reported, citing the U.S. and allied officials.

WNU editor: Afghanistan is getting worse ..... so this change in plans to withdraw military forces should not surprise anyone. This is also an issue that President Obama has decided that he is going to hand to the next President .... and let him )or her) make the decision on staying or leaving.

More News On Reports That U.S. And Coalition Forces May Remain In Afghanistan After 2016

US reportedly considers leaving thousands of troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016 -- FOX News
U.S. re-evaluating troop drawdown in Afghanistan -- Washington Times
US troops could remain in Afghanistan beyond 2016 as President Obama considers extending deployment to stop a Taliban revival -- Daily Mail
U.S., allies review Afghan pullback options: WSJ -- Reuters
U.S., Allied Military Review New Options for Afghan Pullback -- WSJ
Defense officials reviewing new options for Afghan drawdown -- The Hill
US Officials Reevaluating Afghanistan Pullback After Islamic State Surge in Iraq -- Washington Free Beacon
US, NATO review new troops withdrawal options amid ISIS rise and resurgent Taliban -- Khaama Press

A Look At The Slow U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan

CNN: The last Americans: What's left behind after the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN)It is a strangely detached scene for the close of America's longest war: military trainers bouncing between multi-million dollar, high security bases, on Black Hawks, miles from the front line.

But it is how Washington wants this to be. And even though the departure of American troops will be fractionally slower, they will all be inside the U.S. Embassy by the end of next year, making these some of their last weeks outside of the wire.

We are near Jalalabad, at a regional logistics hub for the Afghan police force -- a generous facility that was originally intended to resupply the entire east of the country with uniforms, ammunition, even fuel for vehicles.

WNU Editor: A sobering look at the slow U.S. withdrawal from the Afghan war.

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

U.S. President Obama Will Announce On Tuesday Changes In US Troop Withdraw Plans From Afghanistan

Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst: Why U.S. troops need to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2016

(CNN)The first state visit to the United States of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, which begins this week, was supposed to take place in early March. But the visit was delayed because Republican leaders had invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress during the same time period.

According to two Afghan government officials involved in the planning for the visit, the Afghan government believed American media attention would be largely focused on Netanyahu, so the first U.S. visit of the new Afghan president was delayed by two weeks, which is a useful reminder that there is a sound reason why congressional leaders shouldn't unilaterally extend invitations to foreign leaders.

Ghani and Abdullah arrive in Washington on Sunday.

More News On U.S. Troop Withdrawals From Afghanistan

Obama expected Tuesday to announce change in US troop withdraw -- FOX News
US Pullout From Afghanistan Hinged to Developing Forces -- AP
Obama may alter the drawdown but is still determined to end the Afghan war -- Washington Post
More US Troops Seen Staying in Afghanistan -- NYT
President Obama to slow military pullback from Afghanistan; post-2016 plan intact -- Nola.com
The Endless War Continues? US to Keep Bases in Afghanistan Open Past 2015 -- Sputnik
Exclusive: U.S. likely to delay planned closure of two Afghanistan bases -- Reuters
Will US bases in Afghanistan stay open? -- The Hill

US Will Not Reduce Troops In Afghanistan As Originally Planned

CNN: Obama may not reduce troops in Afghanistan

Washington (CNN)President Barack Obama is considering whether to scrap his drawdown plan to reduce U.S. forces in Afghanistan to 5,500 troops by the end of this year.

A senior administration official said Saturday this is at the request of new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. The two leaders spoke earlier this week via video conference.

The official said no final decisions have been made.

More News On Reports That The U.S. Will Not reduce Troops In Afghanistan As Originally Planned

US to keep more troops in Afghanistan than planned, officials say -- FOX News/AP
U.S. to keep more troops in Afghanistan than planned: AP -- Reuters
US to delay Afghanistan withdrawal, leave more troops – report -- RT
US abandoning plans to cut troops number in Afghanistan to 5,500 -- Khaama Press

U.S. Secretary of State Kerry: President Obama Will Decide Troop Levels In Afghanistan Soon

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry prepares to testify at a Senate Appropriations State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on review FY2016 funding request and budget justification for the State Department on Capitol Hill in Washington February 24, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Yuri Gripas

Reuters: Obama to decide soon on troop levels in Afghanistan: Kerry

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama will decide soon on adjusting the level of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday.

"I think the president is on the right track, and I think the evaluation that is going on now with respect to the adjustment of the troop (level) is appropriate. And the president will make his decision shortly," Kerry said.

Update: Kerry says Obama to decide soon on US troops level in Afghanistan (Khaama press)

WNU Editor: U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Afghanistan a few days ago .... my betting is that he will be briefing President Obama when he returns this week, and when Afghan President Ghani arrives in Washington next month, he and President Obama will be making a final announcement on U.S. troop levels.

Should The U.S. Leave Afghanistan Or Stay?

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter delivers remarks at a question-and-answer session with U.S. military personnel at Kandahar Airfield in Kandahar February 22, 2015. Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Reuters: Tough choice for U.S. in Afghanistan's Kandahar province

(Reuters) - A once bustling military hub at the heart of America's war in southern Afghanistan, Kandahar Air Field seemed destined to quietly shut down this year as part of a U.S. withdrawal that had already thinned its numbers.

But, now, there appears to be growing signs that fate might be postponed, if only for a bit, as the United States weighs slowing the pace of the drawdown from Afghanistan.

New U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited the sprawling complex on Sunday, but kept reporters guessing whether he thought it should remain operational longer - keeping a U.S. toe-hold in an important region of Afghanistan.

WNU Editor: It all now comes down to a question of when .... when is the exact time for U.S. forces to leave. At the moment .... it is 2015 .... but I suspect that this will be delayed by another year or two.

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

U.S. Commander In Afghanistan Wants A Slower Withdrawal

U.S. General John Campbell, commander of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), salutes during the change of mission ceremony in Kabul, December 28, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Omar Sobhani

Bloomberg: U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Backs Slowing U.S. Withdrawal

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said he’s recommending alternatives to President Barack Obama’s timetable for withdrawing the remaining American troops there.

WNU Editor:If the situation and trends were positive .... U.S. Army General John Campbell would be singing a different story. But the fact is the opposite .... the war is escalating and the Afghan army is now under strain. And while I do expect the White House to sign-off on the Generals' request, it will be done during Afghan President Ghani's visit to Washington in March.

More News On The Top U.S. Commander In Afghanistan Wanting A Slower Withdrawal

US commander in Afghanistan proposes slower withdrawal -- Stars and Stripes
Top U.S. commander says offering options on Afghan drawdown -- Reuters
US Commander Wants Troop-Level 'Flexibility' -- Defense News
US considering 'options' on Afghan troop withdrawal -- The Hill
Obama Reconsiders Afghan Troop Withdrawal Once Again -- Sputnik
American troops poised to stay in Afghanistan in far greater numbers after official exit date to prevent resurgence of the Taliban -- Daily Mail
Obama administration looks to revise Afghanistan strategy again -- Washington Times
White House to Reconsider Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan -- The Diplomat

U.S. Adjusting Its Plans To Leave Afghanistan

Afghan soldiers discuss the mission as Czech and U.S. soldiers provide security during a patrol through a village in Parwan province, Afghanistan, Jan. 27, 2015. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class David Wheeler

Washington Post: White House weighs adjusting Afghan exit plan to slow withdrawal of troops

The Obama administration is considering slowing its planned withdrawal from Afghanistan for the second time, according to U.S. officials, a sign of the significant security challenges that remain despite an end to the U.S. and NATO combat mission there.

Update: Obama May Slow Pace of US Troops' Exit from Afghanistan -- Newsmax

WNU Editor: With the fighting now increasing to levels that have never been seen before .... and with the Afghan Army suffering heavy losses .... I am sure there is going to be a change in U.S. withdrawal plans. My prediction .... we may not only see a stop to the U.S. withdrawal, but maybe even an increase in U.S. troop strength and an expansion of U.S. air support by the end of this year.

Afghan President Ghani: U.S. Withdrawal Timetable Should Be 'Re-Examined'

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a event in Kabul January 1, 2015. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

Reuters: Afghan president says U.S. might want to 're-examine' pullout deadline

WNU Editor: He is probably going to get his wish.

More News On Afghan President Ghani Remarks That The U.S. Withdrawal Timetable Should Be 'Re-Examined'

Afghan president says U.S. withdrawal timetable should be 're-examined' -- UPI
Afghan President: Obama should 're-examine' troop withdrawal for 2016 -- CNN
Afghanistan president suggests US 're-examine' troop withdrawal timetable -- FOX News
Afghanistan: US should 're-examine' withdrawing from country -- CSM
Afghan President Ghani says US should re-think deadline -- DW
Afghan President Says US Should Reexamine Troop Withdrawal Deadline -- Sputnik
Afghan president: Troops withdrawal deadline may need to be ‘reexamined’ -- RT
Afghan President Ghani says US might want to 're-examine' deadline -- Brisbane Times

A Look At The U.S. Exit Strategy From Afghanistan

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks to American troops during a visit to Forward Operating Base Gamberi on Dec. 7, 2014. (Mark Wilson/Reuters)

Hagel Visits Afghan Outpost Seen as U.S. Way Out of Longest War -- David Lerman, Bloomberg

The outgoing Secretary of Defense called the base "a model" that the U.S. can use in its exit strategy from the war torn country.

Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) -- The Pentagon is counting on a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan to help lead the way out of America’s longest war.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel took a 30-minute helicopter ride from the capital city of Kabul yesterday to visit a base that he says will provide the blueprint for an orderly U.S. exit from Afghanistan.

Forward Operating Base Gamberi, not far from Jalalabad in Laghman province, is home to the Train, Advise, Assist Command for the country’s eastern region. Its mission: to make Afghan forces fully capable of providing security as the U.S. withdraws. About 800 U.S. troops work at the base with Polish counterparts in training Afghan forces.

Read more ....

Update: In Afghanistan, a tight timeline for new U.S.-led training and support mission -- Washington Post

My Comment: After 13 years of war and a deployment of over 100,000 US and NATO soldiers .... I fail to see how this "new focus" with limited resources and almost no boots on the ground will change the direction of this war .... but that is what they are saying back in Washington. My prediction .... this is going to fail miserably because the Afghan army simply does not have the resources to defeat the Taliban and their supply networks in much of the country.

US Will Delay Troop Withdrawal In Afghanistan

U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is greeted after arriving in Kabul on December 6, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Mark Wilson/Pool

U.S. Confirms Plans To Delay Afghan Withdrawal -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The United States will delay the withdrawal of up to 1,000 troops from Afghanistan, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Saturday, adding they may remain for the first several months of 2015.

Hagel, officially confirming a change in the U.S. drawdown schedule first reported by Reuters, said U.S. forces in Afghanistan could fall only to 10,800 troops at the start of next year, rather than 9,800 as originally planned.

"But the president's authorization will not change our troops' missions, or the long-term timeline for our drawdown," Hagel said.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel Confirming Plans To Delay U.S. Troop Withdrawals From Afghanistan

Chuck Hagel says US will delay troop withdrawal in Afghanistan -- CSM/AP
Hagel: More U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan next year than initially planned -- CNN
Hagel: 1,000 More US Troops to Stay in Afghanistan in 2015 -- VOA
Hagel: More U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan than planned -- USA Today/AP

U.S. And Britain Vow To Not Abandon Afghanistan After Troops Leave

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (center) talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (right) and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah during a NATO meeting in Brussels on December 2.

U.S., Britain Pledge Not To Forsake Afghanistan After December Pullout -- Washington Post

LONDON — The United States and Britain vowed Thursday that they will not abandon Afghanistan even after international combat troops are withdrawn at the end of the month, closing a chapter of a military engagement that began in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Both U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and British Prime Minister David Cameron, appearing at a conference of nations whose donations help keep Afghanistan financially afloat, said it was in their national interests to continue supporting the struggling country as it enters what they called a “transformation decade.”

“We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can never again be used as a safe haven from which terrorists can threaten the international community,” Kerry said. “We know that the most effective way to advance this objective is to support Afghanistan’s political unity and its security.”

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. And Britain Vowing To Not Abandon Afghanistan After Their Troops Have Left

Allies promise to support Afghanistan beyond war -- AP
Kerry, Cameron promise not to forget Afghanistan after troops leave -- Deutsche Welle
Allies Promise Continued Support For Afghanistan -- Radio Free Europe
U.S., Britain pledge to support Afghanistan as combat troops withdraw -- Reuters
Britain and US pledge to help Afghanistan after combat troops leave -- Euronews
Afghanistan conference: John Kerry renews US commitments -- BBC
Afghanistan: 'the real danger now is that the world will forget' -- The Guardian

Is Afgahnistan Going 'Off The Rails'?

U.S. Marines prepare to board a KC-130 Hercules aircraft to depart the Bastion-Leatherneck complex in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 27, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Benn Bar

Afghanistan Going Off The Rails As U.S. Withdrawal Speeds Up -- Foreign Policy

Insurgent attacks rise as poppy cultivation reaches a post-Taliban high in Afghanistan.

While the world's eyes are trained on Iraq, Syria, and the fight against the Islamic State, a new report to Congress by the government's reconstruction watchdog warns that Afghanistan, where U.S. troops have been fighting the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the longest war in American history, remains dangerously unstable even as the American military withdrawal accelerates.

Insurgent attacks have reached the highest levels since 2011, the Afghan army has sustained heavy combat losses and is experiencing high attrition rates, and opium poppy cultivation has more than doubled from its pre-1999 levels when the Taliban ruled the country, potentially undermining the Afghan state's legitimacy even as the nation is experiencing budget shortfalls, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, said in a quarterly report sent to Congress Thursday.

Read more ....

My Comment: What also does not help the situation is the U.S. continually doing this .... U.S. Refuses to Stop Giving Contracts to Backers of Afghan Insurgency (Washington Free Beacon).

Was The British Military Effort In Afghansitan Worth It?

Wing Commander Matt Radnall, Officer Commanding 7 Force Protection Wing, as the very last British troops leave Camp Bastion, Helmand province. Daily Mail

Did UK Intervention In Afghanistan Have Any Value? -- John Simpson, BBC News

As the union jack came down at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province on the UK's 13-year involvement in Afghanistan, there was an unusual amount of introspection in Britain itself.

Was there any real cause for pride? Or had the death of 453 British service personnel been in vain? Had there, indeed, been any value whatever in the British intervention?

The great majority of the ordinary Afghans I have spoken to about this over the years have no doubt about it: the British had helped to shore up this country and make it more stable and prosperous.

'Now,' said a man I came across in the north of Kabul, 'the future is very good, with elections and everything. Before there was nothing like this place here, this road.'

He pointed to the new buildings which had sprung up all round us, and to the well-surfaced road which hadn't even existed before.

Read more ....

Update: The deaths of 453 brave British servicemen and women in Afghanistan have NOT been in vain, says Defence Secretary Micahel Fallon -- Michael Fallon, Daily Mail

My Comment: The majority in Britain view the Afghan campaign as a Futile exercise .... 68 percent of Brits say Afghan war was futile – poll (RT). What's my take .... I am not optimistic on the future .... even with the billions in aid that the U.S. is still promising.

Last British Soldiers And U.S. Marines Withdraw From The Taliban Stronghold In Helmand Province, Afghanistan

U.S. Marines, British Troops End Mission In Restive Afghan Province -- Washington Post

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — U.S. Marines and British forces pulled out of Afghanistan’s Helmand province Monday, ending their engagement in a 13-year-old war that tested both militaries' ability to fight in a landlocked nation.

In a secret 20-hour pullout from one of coalition’s largest bases in Afghanistan, the last of the 873 Marines and 350 British soldiers arrived in Kandahar from Helmand. The southwestern province has been the site of some of the war’s bloodiest combat, but large areas remain under the control of Taliban insurgents.

The withdrawal also marks another step in the wider disengagement of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan.

Read more ....

More News On The Withdrawal Of British And U.S. Marines forces From The Taliban Stronghold In Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Marines, Brits Turn Over Helmand Bases to Afghan Forces -- US Department of Defense
Last international forces airlifted from key base in Afghanistan -- Reuters
Last foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan's Helmand -- USA Today
UK troops fly out of Camp Bastion -- Daily Mail/Press Association
UK ends Afghan combat operations -- BBC
Last British soldiers leave Camp Bastion as war in Afghanistan ends -- The Telegraph
UK ends Afghan combat mission -- IHS Jane's 360
Last British soldiers leave Afghanistan: 'It's just a relief to be getting out of there' -- The Independent
Last of U.S. Marines Leave Afghanistan’s Helmand Province -- WSJ
Marines hand over largest base in Afghanistan, prepare to pull out -- Guns.com
Photos: Allied troops withdraw from key base in Helmand, Afghanistan -- Al Jazeera
Why the end of Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan matters -- Dan Lamonth, Washington Post