U.S. Said to Weigh 10,000 Troops or None in Afghanistan
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The Pentagon has proposed to President Barack Obama that the U.S. leave 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014 or withdraw all of them, according to a U.S. official familiar with the discussions who asked not to be identified discussing the military planning.
The 10,000-or-nothing recommendation represents the military’s conclusion that a smaller force wouldn’t be enough to provide security for U.S. personnel while conducting counterterrorism operations and training the Afghan military. The U.S. and its NATO allies have been discussing a combined force of 8,000 to 12,000 troops since February 2013.