WASHINGTON: The United States reportedly has 3500 troops currently deployed in Afghanistan, which is nearly a thousand more than the declared tally.
According to The New York Times, this additional number of troops "adds another layer of complexity to the swirling debate at the White House over whether to stick with the deadline”, under the ambit of the U.S-Taliban deal last year.
The peace deal, negotiated by the Trump Administration last February, requires the United States to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the 1st of May, 2021.
The newspaper added that "the scope of the US presence has become a contentious issue in Afghanistan — where the Taliban want the Americans gone, while the government’s beleaguered security forces rely on US air support", noting that many in Washington faltered to support an early American withdrawal.
Reportedly, numerous members of Congress have repeatedly called for an increase in troops, if the United States intends to stay in Afghanistan beyond the stipulated withdrawal date, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken's letter to Ashraf Ghani revealing that an immediate withdrawal would allow the Taliban to make "unprecedented territorial gains".
The Times reported that having more troops in a country than the Defence Department officially acknowledges was “a common practice", adding that "From Syria to Yemen to Mali, the United States often details military troops to the CIA or other agencies, declares that information “classified” and refuses to publicly acknowledge their presence".