WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — President Barack Obama should not remove any US troops from Afghanistan this year given the unertain security situation in that country, US Senator John McCain said in a statement on Wednesday.
"[W]hen the president himself describes the security situation in Afghanistan as ‘precarious’, it is difficult to discern any strategic rationale for withdrawing 1,400 US troops by the end of the year," McCain stated.
The statement comes after Obama announced earlier in the day he will leave 8,400 US troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office, instead of his original plan of 5,500 soldiers.
McCain noted said he welcomed Obama’s decision to reverse his previous plan, but also noted he believes conditions warrant retaining the current level of about 9,800 troops in Afghanistan.
