US mulls prolonged presence in Afghanistan despite pessimism

Afghanistan’s neighboring countries remain pessimistic about the efforts of the United States to keep its forces in the region after Washington and Kabul agreed on a long-term US military presence in the war-torn country.

The next two years are vital for Afghanistan as the country has to agree on the details of the security pact signed with the US in May, the state-funded BBC Persian reported on Tuesday.

In early May, US President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai signed an agreement to extend the US military presence in Afghanistan to 2024.

The deal authorizes the presence of US troops for a period of 10 years after 2014, which was the original date agreed upon for the departure of all foreign combat troops from Afghanistan.

US Assistant Chief of Mission for Afghanistan Hugo Llorens said that the US expects to use Afghan military bases after signing another security agreement in the next 12 months, adding that both sides have already agreed to sign such an agreement.

Llorens acknowledged that there were disagreements among Afghans about the deal and that people have the right to show their opposition to it.

He also acknowledged that Afghan society is concerned about Washington’s lack of commitment to Afghanistan.

However, why the US wants to keep a long-term military presence in Afghanistan and how Washington benefits from the move, remain unclear.

Meanwhile, according to a Sunday report by the Wall Street Journal, Washington plans to keep some 10,000 soldiers in Afghanistan after the end of the formal combat operations in 2014.

The report added that US General John Allen, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, had also recommended that the Obama administration maintain a post-2014 force of between 6,000 and 15,000 troops in Afghanistan.

The United States invaded Afghanistan in. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains rampant across the country despite the presence of thousands of US-led troops.