President Barack Obama/Creative Commons

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Currently there are about 66,000 U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan, compared to the 100,000 troops in 2010.

The announcement marks the next step in the Obama administration’s plan to end the war in Afghanistan by 2014.

The Associated Press has reported that although The White House is open to considering no troops in Afghanistan, there is likely to be a small military presence in compliance with the Pentagon’s preferences.

According to the Associated Press: 

Some private security analysts, as well as some Pentagon officials, worry that pulling out of Afghanistan too quickly will leave the battle-scarred country vulnerable to collapse. In a worst-case scenario, that could allow the Taliban to regain power and revert to the role they played in the years before 9/11 as protectors of al-Qaida terrorists bent on striking the U.S.

Many Americans, however, are weary of the war, according to public opinion polls, and are skeptical of any claim that Afghanistan is worth more U.S. blood. Registered voters are roughly split between those who say the U.S. should remove all troops and those who favor leaving some troops in place for counterterrorism efforts, according to a recent Fox News poll.

The Obama administration gave the first clear signal in early January that it might leave no troops in the country after December 2014. Administration officials have said they are considering a range of options for a residual U.S. troop presence of as few as 3,000 and as many as 15,000, with the number linked to a specific set of military-related missions like hunting down terrorists.

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