Following U.S. Italy, Germany decide to stay in Afghanistan

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Friday she supports Obama’s decision to keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016.

“I can’t predict where things will be in January of 2017. But I support the president’s decision, we have invested a lot of blood and a lot of treasure in trying to help that country and we can’t afford for it to become an outpost of the Taliban and ISIS one more time, threatening us, threatening the larger world,” Clinton said.

President Obama had originally planned to keep only a small U.S. military presence as he leaves the office by the end of 2016, but recently announced that U.S. will keep 5,500 troops in three strategic bases in Parwan, Nengarhar and Kandahar to maintain gains made during the past 14 years.

Following the United States, Germany and Italy announced that their troops will likely remain in Afghanistan until at least the end of 2016.

“Italy has been in Afghanistan for many years. At this time we are weighing the request from America to continue for another year,” Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Friday, a day after Obama announced to prolong the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

Currently, Italy has about 750 troops stationed in Herat and Kabul as part of NATO’s non-combat mission to provide training and assistance to the Afghan security forces.

But still the decision may not be final as Obama’s administration has revised the plan several times.

“This isn’t the first time those adjustments have been made, this probably won’t be the last,” Obama said.

At the same time China urges the US to respect Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity while making such decisions.

“The Chinese side has noted the relevant report. We hope that the US side will continue to properly handle issues of stationing troops in Afghanistan and transferring security responsibility to Afghanistan in a responsible manner. Relevant measures should show respect to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and contribute to Afghanistan’s peaceful reconstruction and regional security and stability,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chungying’s said on Friday during a press conference.

The reactions come a day after the U.S. President Barak Obama announced to keep 5,500 troops beyond 2016 out of the current 9,800 troops.

Reported by: Fahim Noori