[Wash Times] The top commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday he has recommended to President Obama that U.S. troops remain in country past the current December 2016 exit date."The president is well aware of the tenuous security situation," Army John F. Campbell told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"I do believe we have to provide our senior leaders with options different than the current plan that we're going with," he testified.
His opening testimony was filled with references to problems still besetting the Afghanistan National Security Force in this the war's 14th year.
He said "much has changed" on the battlefield since Mr. Obama announced the withdrawal timetable in 2014, including the rise of the Islamic State and al Qaeda, and a reinvigorated Taliban.
He said the ANSF still suffers from poor leadership that "shows they cannot handle the fight alone at this stage of development."