US undecided on post-2014 troop level for Afghanistan

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the White House has not decided how many troops it wants to leave behind in Afghanistan after 2014.

Hagel made the remarks in Kabul on Friday during his first trip to the country as Pentagon chief.

He went on to say that the United States and its allies are still at war in Afghanistan, adding that there are plenty of challenges ahead as NATO hands over responsibility for the country’s security to the Afghans.

“That transition has to be done right, it has to be done in partnership with the Afghans, with our allies,” said Hagel, who took over the Pentagon job on February 27. “Our country, as well as Afghanistan, the region, and the allies, have a lot at stake here. And our continued focus and energy and attention on Afghanistan is going to be very important.”

The US defense secretary stated, “It is the Afghan people who need to make, and will make, their own decisions about their future. We can help. We have helped, as well as our allies. But there does come a time when that should be transitioned.”

He added that the transition is happening in a way that gives the Afghan people “a very hopeful future.”

The United States currently has 66,000 troops in Afghanistan, down from about 100,000 in 2010. The US has announced plans to drop its troop level to about 32,000 by early 2014.

The US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 under the pretext of combating terrorism. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity continues to rise across the country despite the presence of thousands of US-led soldiers.

According to the website icasualties.org, 3,258 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led war began in 2001.