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US considers slowing planned withdrawal from Afghanistan for second time
The Obama administration is considering slowing its planned withdrawal from Afghanistan for the second time, according to U.S. officials, a sign of the significant security challenges that remain despite an end to the U.S. and NATO combat mission there.
Under the still-evolving plans, Army Gen. John F. Campbell, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, could be given greater latitude to determine the pace of the drawdown in 2015 as foreign forces scramble to ensure Afghan troops are capable of battling Taliban insurgents on their own, the officials said.
The options under discussion would not alter what is perhaps the most important date in President Obama’s plan: ending the U.S. military mission entirely by the time he steps down in early 2017.
But officials said Campbell might temporarily retain more than the 5,500 troops slated to remain in Afghanistan at the end of 2015, keep regional training hubs open longer than planned or reorganize plans to close bases including Kandahar Airfield, a major endeavor that would draw troops away from efforts to advise Afghan security forces.
Campbell and top Obama aides are expected to discuss the options at a White House meeting Wednesday.
“The defining elements of the plan are more or less intact,” a senior administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss planning. “All we’re looking at at this point is either variations within those or subtle variations of” the current framework.
Officials hope to finalize a decision before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visits Washington in March. Ghani has appealed to Obama to “reexamine” his drawdown schedule.
“We are cognizant of the fact that we’ve got to get in front of the so-called spring fighting season in Afghanistan” and provide allies time to make their own troop plans, the official said.
Campbell already faces a tight timeline for the twin mission he commands in Afghanistan, a NATO effort to advise Afghan security forces and a separate U.S. program that conducts limited operations against al-Qaeda and other militants.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan has appointed 19 new ambassadors and consuls general for its overseas missions.
Among these appointments, Shahbaz Hussain and Awais Ahmad Khan have been named as Pakistan’s consuls general in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif, respectively.
Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, said in a post on X that these appointments were made with the approval of Shahbaz Sharif, the country’s Prime Minister.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the growth and development of human society in various dimensions require the active role of women and girls, and this is only possible if they have access to education.
Karzai made these remarks on Wednesday on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which falls on February 11.
Expressing appreciation for the role of Afghan women and girls in social life, he encouraged them to strive by all possible means to gain access to education and training and to participate in the growth and development of the country.
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Four years on, UN and EU renew call for Afghan girls’ right to education
The European Union delegation in Afghanistan also stressed the importance of women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
As the world observed International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the United Nations and the European Union renewed their calls for Afghan girls’ right to education, warning that continued restrictions threaten the country’s future development.
The United Nations in Afghanistan said the day was marked with sorrow, noting that 1,607 days have passed since girls over the age of 12 were barred from attending school.
UNAMA warned that more than four years of exclusion have led to lost opportunities and undermined key sectors that rely on educated women, reiterating its demand that the ban be lifted.
The European Union delegation in Afghanistan also stressed the importance of women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
In a statement, the EU said Afghan women — including nurses, midwives, and researchers — play a crucial role in building a healthy and prosperous society, adding that women must remain central to scientific progress. The bloc reaffirmed its support for education for all Afghans.
The United Nations further emphasized that equality in science is essential not only for human advancement but also for ensuring that technology and artificial intelligence contribute to global prosperity.
It warned that excluding Afghan women and girls from education and employment is not only an act of marginalization but a serious barrier to Afghanistan’s long-term development and stability.
The statements come amid continued international appeals to expand access to education and job opportunities for Afghan women and girls.
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