'We're Staying': Obama Adds Endless Afghan War to Legacy

Betraying repeatedly stated vows to bring all U.S. troops home before he leaves office, President Barack Obama announced on Thursday that as many as 5,500 soldiers will remain in the country until at least 2017.

Citing unnamed officials, the Associated Press was the first to break the news and noted the announcement will ensure Obama—despite numerous promises to the contrary—”hands the conflict off to his successor.”

At a press conference at the White House, Obama said it would be a mistake to bring all the troops home and announced a slow-down in the pace of withdrawal and confirmed that a substantial force would remain beyond the end of his term.

“Afghan forces are still not as strong as they need to be,” Obama explained to reporters, while flanked by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford and and Defense Secretary Ash Carter. “Meanwhile, the Taliban has made gains particularly in rural areas and can still launch deadly attacks in cities, including Kabul.”

The news comes less than two weeks after the U.S. bombed a hospital in the northern city of Kunduz—killing 22 people, including patients and medical staff. Though Doctors Without Borders/MSF, the international group which ran the hospital, has submitted a formal request for an international and independent probe of the attack, the U.S. government has to consent.