今日のテキスト U.S. TO PROLONG AFGHAN PRESENCE

U.S. President Barack Obama has backed away from a commitment to ending the Afghan war during his time in office. He has announced his decision to scrap a plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year. Five thousand five hundred U.S. personnel will remain beyond 2016.

(Barack Obama / U.S. President)
"As commander-in-chief, I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as safe haven for terrorists to attack our nation again. Our forces therefore remain engaged in two narrow but critical missions — training Afghan forces, and supporting counter-terrorism operations against the remnants of Al-Qaeda."

Obama stated he does not support the idea of endless war. He says the mission is vital to U.S. national interests. The president warned the security situation is very fragile in key areas of Afghanistan and that there is a risk of deterioration. He says the Taliban has made gains particularly in rural areas and can still launch deadly attacks in cities.