US to Step Up Military Presence in Afghanistan

The Obama administration is dropping plans to slash the number of troops in Afghanistan this year.

The White House wanted to cut the number to 5,500 by the end 2015, but military leaders have been fighting to keep more boots on the ground.

No final decision has been made on the numbers. About 9,800 troops are currently in Afghanistan and many of them are expected to stay in country.

There also are discussions about keeping a steady number of counterterrorism troops into 2015, including options under which some would remain in the country or be nearby beyond 2016.

President Barack Obama has had to send troops back to Iraq to help Iraqi security forces fight Islamic State jihadists. So his promise to withdraw troops from Afghanistan has taken on more political importance.