Obama: US to slow troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
By JOSH LEDERMAN, Associated Press
Mar 24, 2015 1:42 PM CDT
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani waves as he arrives for a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 24, 2015. The two presidents are expected to discuss a range of issues including security and economic development. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)   (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says the U.S. will keep just under 10,000 troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2015 at the request of Afghanistan's new president, Ashraf Ghani.

Obama says Afghanistan "remains a dangerous place" and it's important to maintain security cooperation between the two countries.

Obama had planned to cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to about 5,500 by the end of the year.

He says a new government in Afghanistan opens a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

Obama spoke Tuesday at the White House following his first Oval Office meeting with Ghani.

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