WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that he plans to increase to around 8,400 the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office.
BREAKING: Pres. Obama: 8,400 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan into next year through end of Obama administration https://t.co/P1PczTzo94
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The numbers reflect a compromise between Obama's original plan and what many military commanders had recommended.
Obama had planned to drop troop levels from 9,800 to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. But Taliban resurgence has forced Washington to rethink its exit strategy.
Obama plans to announce the numbers during a statement from the Roosevelt Room. He'll appear with Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Gen. Joseph Dunford.
