Obama Drops Afghanistan Exit Plan (VIDEO)

Lots of folks were mocking the clusterfuck Democrats on Twitter yesterday. No hope. No change. Just incompetence.

At the Wall Street Journal, "In Major Afghanistan Shift, Obama Drops Plan to Withdraw Most U.S. Forces":

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama said Thursday he was dropping plans to withdraw nearly all American troops from Afghanistan, reversing his long-held intention to exit the conflict before the end of his administration.

Mr. Obama said the U.S. will maintain the current American force of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through most of next year and keep at least 5,500 U.S. troops in the country after he leaves office in January 2017.

His announcement followed mounting pressure at home and abroad to change the U.S. strategy in response to escalating insurgent violence, including an assault by Taliban militants who temporarily seized control last month of the northern city of Kunduz, and a deeply uneven performance by Afghan forces.

Concerns that a steeper U.S. withdrawal would make Afghanistan vulnerable to extremists, as happened in Iraq with Islamic State militants after the U.S. drawdown there in 2011, also influenced Mr. Obama’s decision.

The new plan reflects the latest in a series of difficulties Mr. Obama has encountered in trying to follow through on his earliest campaign promises before leaving office.

“I know many of you have grown weary of this conflict,” Mr. Obama said, addressing Americans from the White House. But he added: “I’m firmly convinced that we should make this extra effort.”

Mr. Obama’s previous plan, in place since last year, called for steadily withdrawing the 9,800 U.S. troops through 2016 and leaving about 1,000 at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul by the time his term ends.

Under the new plan, the president said remaining U.S. troops will be stationed at points outside the Afghan capital, serving in Jalalabad in the east, Kandahar in the south, and at Bagram Air Field.

Mr. Obama said his decision capped a monthslong strategy review prompted by a deteriorating situation on the ground that raised alarm among U.S. commanders and U.S. allies.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had called for a larger U.S. and NATO troop presence than was previously foreseen. On Thursday he welcomed Mr. Obama’s move, saying: “America believes that a stable Afghanistan is in the interest of the world and of the region.”

Mr. Obama’s decision will result in a larger force than he has preferred, but about as small as military commanders believe necessary to support a continued U.S. presence devoted to both training and counterterrorism operations.

Many military officials prefer a larger U.S. force—up to the current 9,800, or at least 7,500 to 8,000. A force of 5,500 is only slightly more than what many military officials consider a minimal realistic option for carrying out the two operations.

But military commanders were heartened by the absence in Mr. Obama’s new plan of a strict time frame for the drawdown of U.S. forces, allowing them more flexibility than previous plans afforded. White House officials said it is possible the reduction to 5,500 won’t happen before Mr. Obama leaves office.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the new plan, which administration officials estimate will cost $14.6 billion a year, is “reasonable” under the current conditions in Afghanistan, though circumstances can change...

Still more.

Plus, the full administration press conference video, "The President Delivers a Statement on Afghanistan."