The White House on Wednesday said that U.S. President Barack Obama's upcoming announcement on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan will reflect that the United States is committed to leaving the war-torn country in the near future. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that ahead of Obama's major announcement on Tuesday, which will take place at the West Point Military Academy, the administration has been in close consultation with U.S. lawmakers on the need to exit the country, and leave it in the hands of Afghan troops. Amidst reports that the United States will send 34,000 troops into Afghanistan, Gibbs said the United States is “not going to be there another eight or nine years,” adding that to “ramp up this training” of Afghan troops is “imperative in this strategy” of handing power to the Afghans. “We're in the ninth year of our efforts in Afghanistan,” Gibbs said, adding that the president's Tuesday address will explain the U.S. strategy going forward, but also that “the president does not see this as an open ended engagement.” “It is unsustainable” for the United States to keep up its commitment in Afghanistan at this level for longer than the nine or so years, Gibbs said. He cited that it costs $1 million per troop, per year, with the exclusion of troop training, while also maintaining the security forces there. It is “very, very, very, expensive,” he said.
