Soldiers conduct foot patrols in Kabul in 2009. Defense Department file photo
The U.S. may not leave any troops behind in Afghanistan
Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes became the first Obama administration official to raise the possibility of a complete withdrawal.
After previously suggesting that some American forces could remain in Afghanistan for decades to come, the Pentagon says it's considering the possibility that no U.S. forces could be stationed there after 2014. NATO and American forces are planning to withdraw all combat troops from the country by the end of next year, but its been widely assumed that some would remain to assist the still-wobbly Afghan army with training and security, as well as anti-terrorist missions.
However, during a press conference on Tuesday, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes became the first Obama administration official to raise the possibility of a complete withdraw. Rhodes says the Pentagon is considering a range of options, including keeping any where between 6,000 and 15,000 U.S. soldiers on the ground at all times. There are currently about 66,000 troops in the country now, down from a peak for more 100,000 at the height of the 11-year-old war.