Speaking to reporters via phone from Turkey, Sen. Carl Levin says he’s confident the U.S. military will complete planned combat troop drawdowns from Afghanistan on schedule.
“We’re seeing continuing progress in Afghanistan,” Levin said. “I’m optimistic about the dates we’ve set for reducing our surge force by the end of September and reducing our combat forces by 2014. This, plus the signing of a long-term relationship last night by the two presidents all contribute to a positive momentum in Afghanistan.”
Levin, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, was in Afghanistan with fellow Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) this week. His trip coincided with President Barack Obama’s surprise visit to sign the agreement with Afghani President Hamid Karzai.
Levin says the Afghan army and national police forces have stepped up their own efforts fighting al-Qaeda and the Taliban, adding that insurgents are increasingly ineffective.
“The Taliban is not able to wage an offensive or recapture any ground,” he said. “These hit-and-run kind of attacks are put down by the Afghan police and the Afghan army. One of the notable things that happened in the mid-April attack in Kabul was…it was totally the Afghan security forces that put it down.”
Levin expects the U.S. will maintain some military presence in Afghanistan after the 2014 drawdown. However, it will be a dramatically smaller force compared to present troop levels.
“I don’t know what that number from the President, on the advice of the commanders, would be, but even if it were 10,000 that would be a relatively small fraction of the 70,000 troops remaining after the surge force is out,” he said.
Levin added that U.S. military in Afghanistan after the 2014 withdrawal would be non-combat personnel to provide training, logistical support, and counter-terrorism assistance to Afghan security forces.
