Notes on a Residual Force in Afghanistan

Between the Pentagon’s demand for over 15,000 residual troops and the peace movement’s preference of zero, President Barack Obama reportedly wants between 6,000 to 9,000 US soldiers, including a counterterrorism unit, to be stationed in fortified garrisons near Kabul. One US official is quoted, “I could see [Obama and Karzai] both wanting zero, but at the end of the day I don’t see that happening.” The Pentagon is upset at the low number, and continues to lobby for delaying most withdrawals until after another “fighting season.”