McCain blasts ‘dangerous’ Afghanistan withdrawal timetable after Taliban gains
- 9 years ago
The Taliban takeover of the strategic city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan has renewed concerns on Capitol Hill about the plan to withdraw all U.S. combat troops by the end of 2016.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., said the Taliban's strength has been fueled by the Obama administration's scheduled troop withdrawal.
"President Obama's calendar-based drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan despite conditions on the ground has created an opening for the Taliban and placed at risk the hard-earned gains of the past decade," he said in a statement.
Noting that President Obama is "still on pace to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016," McCain urged the president to "abandon this dangerous and arbitrary course and adopt a plan for U.S. troop presence based on conditions on the ground."
Obama stressed at the time that the "specific trajectory" of the drawdown for 2016 would be established later this year - and he still wants to stick to the plan of reducing the force to a "Kabul-based embassy presence" by the time he leaves office.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., said the Taliban's strength has been fueled by the Obama administration's scheduled troop withdrawal.
"President Obama's calendar-based drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan despite conditions on the ground has created an opening for the Taliban and placed at risk the hard-earned gains of the past decade," he said in a statement.
Noting that President Obama is "still on pace to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016," McCain urged the president to "abandon this dangerous and arbitrary course and adopt a plan for U.S. troop presence based on conditions on the ground."
Obama stressed at the time that the "specific trajectory" of the drawdown for 2016 would be established later this year - and he still wants to stick to the plan of reducing the force to a "Kabul-based embassy presence" by the time he leaves office.