‘Obama considering total Afghan pullout’
Iran Press TV
Tue Jul 9, 2013 8:28AM GMT
US President Barack Obama is considering prompt and total pullout of US-led NATO soldiers from Afghanistan after the planned 2014 withdrawal date, US officials claim.
According to the officials, Obama is committed to ending US military intervention in the war-torn country by the end of 2014, though US officials have been negotiating with Afghan officials over leaving a small “residual force” of about 8,000 behind, The New York Times reported on Monday.
Obama’s recent decision came as the relations with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai has been deteriorating over the US last month attempts to begin peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar.
Karzai, earlier in June, accused the Obama administration of duplicity and “contradiction.” Following the objection, the US cancelled the talks, which were originally set to be held in Doha on Jun 27.
The Afghan government also insisted the Taliban’s office in the Persian Gulf state must only be used for direct talks with Karzai's appointed negotiators.
In March, Karzai accused the Taliban and the US of working in concert to convince Afghans that violence will worsen if foreign troops leave as planned by the end of 2014.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of the so-called war on terror.
The US-led war in Afghanistan removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains across Afghanistan, despite the presence of about 100,000 US-led troops.
MM/HN
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