Pace of pullout being continually assessed: Pentagon

KABUL (Pajhwok): US military officials are continually looking at the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and operations in the country, the Pentagon says.

The American military leadership adjusted their plans accordingly, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby told a media briefing on Monday.

Amid intensifying Taliban attacks. Kirby said, Defence Secretary Austin and senior military commanders were constantly assessing the pace of the pullout.

The Pentagon spokesman hinted at slowing down the withdrawal process. “We are mindful that the schedule could fluctuate and change, as conditions change.”

AFP quoted him as saying: “If there needs to be changes made to the pace, or to the scope and scale of the retrograde, on any given day or in any given week, we want to maintain the flexibility to do that.”

He said only two aspects of the pullout would not change — the US military will withdraw all forces from the country, and the process will be completed by September 11.

Other aspects of the situation in Afghanistan were still being monitored, Kirby continued.

“The US military can already provide over-the-horizon support that the Afghan government will need,” the official said.

The US was studying a variety of options on how to continue to provide contractual support … specifically to the Afghan Air Force,” Kirby said.

PAN Monitor/mud

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