Barack Obama, con un ordine firmato in segreto nelle scorse settimane, ha prolungato la missione di combattimento delle truppe statunitensi in Afghanistan, che avrebbe dovuto concludersi alla fine del 2014. Lo scrive il New York Times, che ricorda come la proroga dell'operazione "Enduring Freedom" sia un'inversione di rotta rispetto a quanto annunciato in maggio, quando il presidente aveva affermato che i militari rimasti (insieme a quelli degli alleati della NATO) avrebbero avuto compiti di addestramento e sostegno alle forze afgane.
Il nuovo documento, invece, prevederebbe operazioni contro i talebani e altri gruppi islamici in caso di minaccia contro il Governo di Kabul, non escludendo nemmeno l'uso di caccia, bombardieri e droni.
La decisione, presa dopo un accesso dibattito interno all'amministrazione fra "falchi" militari e "colombe" civili si spiega con l'avanzata dello Stato islamico in Iraq: Obama è stato criticato per il prematuro ritiro da quel paese e non vorrebbe ripetere l'errore.
pon/ANSA/Reuters
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