Obama decision risky, says Admiral

The US military’s top officer has told Congress that President Barack Obama’s decision to withdraw up to 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by next summer is riskier than he originally was prepared to endorse.

Navy Admiral Mike Mullen told a House hearing today that he supports the president’s plans, but he said they are “more aggressive and incur more risk” than he originally thought was prudent.

He added that keeping more troops in Afghanistan for a longer period would have been a safer course, given the fragile state of security there.

On the other hand, Admiral Mullen says, taking the safer course would have entailed other kinds of risks, such as increasing the Afghan government’s dependence on the US.

The admiral says he offered his advice before Mr Obama made his decision.