Wall Street Journal: President Barack Obama is quoted to have said that he has ordered a significant slowdown in the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, according to senior administration officials, a decision that marks a major reversal in his war plan and effectively hands the conflict over to his successor.
Under pressure at home and abroad, Mr. Obama decided—following a strategy review—to maintain the current American force of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through most of next year, and to leave a force of 5,500 U.S. troops in the country in 2017, when he leaves office, the senior administration officials said.