India is participating at the Ministerial Meeting on “Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East” in Warsaw with Deputy National Security Advisor Pankaj Saran representing New Delhi.&nbsp;

The conference is being organized at the initiative of Poland and the U.S. on the subject of peace and security in West Asia.

Confirming the participation, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs Raveesh Kumar said, "India has an abiding interest in the region.&nbsp;

The region hosts a 9.2 million-strong Indian community, whose well-being and welfare is of paramount importance for us. This region is the source of over 50% of our oil and 70% of our gas needs. It is also a large trading partner, accounting for over US$ 110 billion of India’s trade in 2016-17. "

Elaborating further Raveesh said, "The emergence of terrorist groups like the ISIS poses a common challenge to India and the countries of the region. The region is also critical for our maritime security and security of the sea lanes of communication. Given our multiple interests, it was important for India to be represented in a major meeting on the region. "

There have been a number of high-level visits from India to West Asia and vice versa. Saudi Arabia's crown prince will be Mohammed bin Salman will be visiting India next week. Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited India last year and is again expected to visit India. Indian Prime Minister has also visited most of the countries in the region-- Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, UAE.&nbsp;

Many Arab countries and Israel are participating in the summit. Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif has slammed the summit calling it "Warsaw Circus".

India is participating at the Ministerial Meeting on “Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East” in Warsaw with Deputy National Security Advisor Pankaj Saran representing New Delhi.

India is participating at the Ministerial Meeting on “Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East” in Warsaw with Deputy National Security Advisor Pankaj Saran representing New Delhi. The conference is being organized at the initiative of Poland and the U.S. on the subject of peace and security in West Asia. Confirming the participation, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs Raveesh Kumar said, "India has an abiding interest in the region. The region hosts a 9.2 million-strong Indian community, whose well-being and welfare is of paramount importance for us. This region is the source of over 50% of our oil and 70% of our gas needs. It is also a large trading partner, accounting for over US$ 110 billion of India’s trade in 2016-17. " Elaborating further Raveesh said, "The emergence of terrorist groups like the ISIS poses a common challenge to India and the countries of the region. The region is also critical for our maritime security and security of the sea lanes of communication. Given our multiple interests, it was important for India to be represented in a major meeting on the region. " There have been a number of high-level visits from India to West Asia and vice versa. Saudi Arabia's crown prince will be Mohammed bin Salman will be visiting India next week. Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited India last year and is again expected to visit India. Indian Prime Minister has also visited most of the countries in the region-- Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, UAE. Many Arab countries and Israel are participating in the summit. Iran's foreign minister Javad Zarif has slammed the summit calling it "Warsaw Circus".

Warsaw summit: Deputy NSA Pankaj Saran to represent India

President Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House said on Friday. 
 
&quot;The President has accepted an invitation from Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week,&quot; spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement, adding that Obama would return to the United States Sunday night -- one day ahead of schedule. 
 
Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode &quot;vicious, calculated and despicable&quot;. 
 
Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians. 
 
Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of African Americans by law enforcement.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by officers in other US cities, drawing protests across the nation.&nbsp; 
 
After travelling to Dallas, Earnest said Obama will &quot;continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system&quot;. 
 
According to the White House, Obama will depart for Madrid today. On Sunday he will meet with his Spanish counterpart before speaking to US military personnel serving at the naval base of Rota. 
 
He is trimming a visit to Seville off his travel itinerary to arrive back in Washington on Sunday night. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The US President called the attack which killed 5 police officers 'vicious, calculated and despicable'

President Barack Obama will cut short a trip to Europe and travel to Dallas next week in the wake of the deadly ambush in the city that left five police dead, the White House said on Friday. "The President has accepted an invitation from Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings to travel to Dallas early next week," spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement, adding that Obama would return to the United States Sunday night -- one day ahead of schedule. Obama, who was in Warsaw this week attending a NATO summit, weighed in on the attacks from the Polish capital, calling the episode "vicious, calculated and despicable". Micah Johnson, the 25-year-old black Army veteran who carried out the sniper-style attack, killed five police while wounding seven more, as well as injuring two civilians. Before being killed by police, he told officers he wanted to kill white cops in retaliation for the harsh treatment of African Americans by law enforcement. Earlier in the week, two black men were killed by officers in other US cities, drawing protests across the nation. After travelling to Dallas, Earnest said Obama will "continue the work to bring people together to support our police officers and communities and find common ground by discussing policy ideas for addressing the persistent racial disparities in our criminal justice system". According to the White House, Obama will depart for Madrid today. On Sunday he will meet with his Spanish counterpart before speaking to US military personnel serving at the naval base of Rota. He is trimming a visit to Seville off his travel itinerary to arrive back in Washington on Sunday night. (AFP)

Obama will leave Europe early to travel to Dallas after deadly ambush

NATO leaders agreed on Friday to deploy military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland for the first time, and also to increase air and sea patrols to reassure allies who were once part of the Soviet bloc following Russia&#39;s seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. 
 
The 28-nation Western defence alliance decided to move four battalions, totalling 3,000 to 4,000 troops, into northeastern Europe on a rotating basis to display its readiness to defend eastern members against any Russian aggression. 
 
However, they also underlined their willingness to pursue a dialogue with Moscow and revive confidence-building measures that Russia has spurned since its 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for Russian-speaking rebels in eastern Ukraine. 
 
&quot;These battalions will be robust and they will be multinational. They make clear that an attack on one ally will be considered an attack on the whole alliance,&quot; NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference after the summit&#39;s first working session in Warsaw, the Polish capital. 
 
President Barack Obama said the United States would deploy about 1,000 soldiers in Poland under the plan &quot;to enhance our forward presence in central and eastern Europe&quot;. Germany will lead the battalion in Lithuania, Britain in Estonia and Canada in Latvia. Other nations such as France will supply troops. 
 
White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters that what he called continued aggression by Russia would provoke a response by NATO and a greater alliance presence in Eastern Europe. 
 
Obama said earlier that Britain&#39;s referendum vote to leave the European Union, an outcome he sought to avoid, should not weaken the Western alliance but raised &quot;significant questions&quot; about the future of European integration. America&#39;s &quot;special relationship&quot; with the UK would survive, the President said. 
 
Obama discussed the procedure for Britain&#39;s withdrawal with the heads of the main EU institutions, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, and was assured there would be an orderly transition to as close an economic relationship as possible and no punishment of Britain, Rhodes told reporters. 
 
Host nation Poland set a tone of mistrust of Russian intentions. Foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski told a pre-summit forum: &quot;We have to reject any type of wishful thinking with regard to pragmatic cooperation with Russia as long as it keeps on invading its neighbours.&quot; 
 
Obama was more diplomatic, calling for dialogue with Russia, but he too urged allies to keep sanctions on Moscow in place until it fully complies with a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. 
 
Ukraine is not a member of NATO but President Petro Poroshenko will meet allied leaders today, where he may face pressure to fulfil Kiev&#39;s part of the agreement by accepting more decentralisation and local elections in the rebel-held eastern Donbass region. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that while NATO was increasing its defence capabilities, it was always keen for dialogue with Moscow. A planned meeting of the long frozen NATO-Russia Council next week would address ways to avoid dangerous situations in Baltic air space, she said. 
 
Russian warplanes have been buzzing Western civilian and military aircraft and switching off their identification signals as part of an apparent campaign of intimidation in response to Western economic sanctions over its action in Ukraine. 
 
&quot;Just as there are understandings between the United States and Russia in Syria, it&#39;s in both sides&#39; interests that NATO and Russia also coordinate their activities,&quot; Merkel said. 
 
Adversary and partner 
 
Coinciding with the NATO summit, the US state department announced it had expelled two Russian diplomats on June 17, in response to an attack by a Russian policeman on a US diplomat in Moscow earlier last month. It was not clear why the United States waited until Friday to disclose the news. 
 
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland had requested a permanent NATO presence, fearing Moscow will seek to destabilise their pro-Western governments through cyber attacks, stirring up Russian speakers, hostile broadcasts or territorial incursions. 
 
The three Baltic states, as well as Ukraine, are former Soviet republics that gained independence when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. 
 
The head of NATO&#39;s military committee, Czech general Petr Pavel, said Russia was attempting to restore its status as a world power, an effort that included using its military. &quot;We must accept that Russia can be a competitor, adversary, peer or partner and probably all four at the same time,&quot; he said. 
 
The Kremlin said it was absurd for NATO to talk of any threat from Russia and it hoped &quot;common sense&quot; would prevail at the Warsaw summit. Moscow remains open to dialogue with NATO and is ready to cooperate with it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with journalists. 
 
Russia often depicts NATO as an aggressor whose members are moving troops and military hardware further into former Soviet territory, which it regards as its sphere of influence. 
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed diplomatic efforts for a settlement in Ukraine in a phone call with Merkel and French President Francois Hollande just before the summit began. The Kremlin said he asked them to &quot;influence more actively the Ukrainian side&quot; to grant wider autonomy to eastern Ukraine. 
 
Moscow has declared its intention to deploy nuclear-capable missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania, in response to NATO&#39;s activation of a US-built missile shield on Polish soil. 
 
Brexit 
 
Outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed Britain would not turn its back on European security once it leaves the EU following the Brexit vote. Britain is Europe&#39;s biggest military spender, followed by France. 
 
Hollande, who has sent French forces on missions against Islamist militants in Mali, the Central African Republic, Iraq and Syria, urged other European allies to increase their defence budgets - veiled criticism of Germany, which spends just over one per cent of GDP on the military, or half the NATO objective. 
 
NATO and the EU signed an agreement on deeper military and security cooperation. The US-led alliance is set to announce today its support for the EU&#39;s Mediterranean interdiction operation. NATO is already backing EU efforts to stem a refugee influx from Turkey into Greece, in conjunction with an EU-Turkey deal to curb migration in return for benefits for Ankara. 
 
Stoltenberg also said NATO defence ministers would consider calls from Romania and Bulgaria for a stronger allied air and sea presence in the Black Sea, where Russia has a fleet based in Crimea and is building up its interdiction capacity. 
 
(Reuters)

The Kremlin often depicts NATO as an aggressor whose members move troops and military hardware further into former Soviet territory

NATO leaders agreed on Friday to deploy military forces to the Baltic states and eastern Poland for the first time, and also to increase air and sea patrols to reassure allies who were once part of the Soviet bloc following Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. The 28-nation Western defence alliance decided to move four battalions, totalling 3,000 to 4,000 troops, into northeastern Europe on a rotating basis to display its readiness to defend eastern members against any Russian aggression. However, they also underlined their willingness to pursue a dialogue with Moscow and revive confidence-building measures that Russia has spurned since its 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for Russian-speaking rebels in eastern Ukraine. "These battalions will be robust and they will be multinational. They make clear that an attack on one ally will be considered an attack on the whole alliance," NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference after the summit's first working session in Warsaw, the Polish capital. President Barack Obama said the United States would deploy about 1,000 soldiers in Poland under the plan "to enhance our forward presence in central and eastern Europe". Germany will lead the battalion in Lithuania, Britain in Estonia and Canada in Latvia. Other nations such as France will supply troops. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters that what he called continued aggression by Russia would provoke a response by NATO and a greater alliance presence in Eastern Europe. Obama said earlier that Britain's referendum vote to leave the European Union, an outcome he sought to avoid, should not weaken the Western alliance but raised "significant questions" about the future of European integration. America's "special relationship" with the UK would survive, the President said. Obama discussed the procedure for Britain's withdrawal with the heads of the main EU institutions, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, and was assured there would be an orderly transition to as close an economic relationship as possible and no punishment of Britain, Rhodes told reporters. Host nation Poland set a tone of mistrust of Russian intentions. Foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski told a pre-summit forum: "We have to reject any type of wishful thinking with regard to pragmatic cooperation with Russia as long as it keeps on invading its neighbours." Obama was more diplomatic, calling for dialogue with Russia, but he too urged allies to keep sanctions on Moscow in place until it fully complies with a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. Ukraine is not a member of NATO but President Petro Poroshenko will meet allied leaders today, where he may face pressure to fulfil Kiev's part of the agreement by accepting more decentralisation and local elections in the rebel-held eastern Donbass region. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that while NATO was increasing its defence capabilities, it was always keen for dialogue with Moscow. A planned meeting of the long frozen NATO-Russia Council next week would address ways to avoid dangerous situations in Baltic air space, she said. Russian warplanes have been buzzing Western civilian and military aircraft and switching off their identification signals as part of an apparent campaign of intimidation in response to Western economic sanctions over its action in Ukraine. "Just as there are understandings between the United States and Russia in Syria, it's in both sides' interests that NATO and Russia also coordinate their activities," Merkel said. Adversary and partner Coinciding with the NATO summit, the US state department announced it had expelled two Russian diplomats on June 17, in response to an attack by a Russian policeman on a US diplomat in Moscow earlier last month. It was not clear why the United States waited until Friday to disclose the news. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland had requested a permanent NATO presence, fearing Moscow will seek to destabilise their pro-Western governments through cyber attacks, stirring up Russian speakers, hostile broadcasts or territorial incursions. The three Baltic states, as well as Ukraine, are former Soviet republics that gained independence when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. The head of NATO's military committee, Czech general Petr Pavel, said Russia was attempting to restore its status as a world power, an effort that included using its military. "We must accept that Russia can be a competitor, adversary, peer or partner and probably all four at the same time," he said. The Kremlin said it was absurd for NATO to talk of any threat from Russia and it hoped "common sense" would prevail at the Warsaw summit. Moscow remains open to dialogue with NATO and is ready to cooperate with it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with journalists. Russia often depicts NATO as an aggressor whose members are moving troops and military hardware further into former Soviet territory, which it regards as its sphere of influence. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed diplomatic efforts for a settlement in Ukraine in a phone call with Merkel and French President Francois Hollande just before the summit began. The Kremlin said he asked them to "influence more actively the Ukrainian side" to grant wider autonomy to eastern Ukraine. Moscow has declared its intention to deploy nuclear-capable missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania, in response to NATO's activation of a US-built missile shield on Polish soil. Brexit Outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed Britain would not turn its back on European security once it leaves the EU following the Brexit vote. Britain is Europe's biggest military spender, followed by France. Hollande, who has sent French forces on missions against Islamist militants in Mali, the Central African Republic, Iraq and Syria, urged other European allies to increase their defence budgets - veiled criticism of Germany, which spends just over one per cent of GDP on the military, or half the NATO objective. NATO and the EU signed an agreement on deeper military and security cooperation. The US-led alliance is set to announce today its support for the EU's Mediterranean interdiction operation. NATO is already backing EU efforts to stem a refugee influx from Turkey into Greece, in conjunction with an EU-Turkey deal to curb migration in return for benefits for Ankara. Stoltenberg also said NATO defence ministers would consider calls from Romania and Bulgaria for a stronger allied air and sea presence in the Black Sea, where Russia has a fleet based in Crimea and is building up its interdiction capacity. (Reuters)

NATO sends military troops to Poland, Baltic states against Russia

Australia will pay an extra $300 million to help develop Afghanistan&#39;s security forces, the government said on Friday ahead of a NATO leaders&#39; summit in Warsaw, where tenuous security in Afghanistan will be a central discussion topic. 
 
Australia, a firm US ally in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had originally pledged $500 million from 2010-2017 but will now provide an extra $100 million annually until 2020. 
 
The announcement of extra funding came two days after US President Barack Obama said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan almost in half by the end of the year, instead keeping 8,400 troops there from January. 
 
There are also another 3,000 international troops serving in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. 
 
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Kabul in January, and the Australian Defence Force announced two months later its troops would remain there for at least another three years. About 270 Australian troops are serving in the NATO-led force. 
 
No senior Australian government members will attend the Warsaw summit, with a cliffhanger nation election a week ago still without a clear result. 
 
The $100 million annual commitment comprises an $80 million contribution to the Afghan National Army and $20 million for the Afghan police. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The announcement came two days after US President said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan

Australia will pay an extra $300 million to help develop Afghanistan's security forces, the government said on Friday ahead of a NATO leaders' summit in Warsaw, where tenuous security in Afghanistan will be a central discussion topic. Australia, a firm US ally in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, had originally pledged $500 million from 2010-2017 but will now provide an extra $100 million annually until 2020. The announcement of extra funding came two days after US President Barack Obama said he had decided to postpone plans to cut the number of US forces in Afghanistan almost in half by the end of the year, instead keeping 8,400 troops there from January. There are also another 3,000 international troops serving in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited Kabul in January, and the Australian Defence Force announced two months later its troops would remain there for at least another three years. About 270 Australian troops are serving in the NATO-led force. No senior Australian government members will attend the Warsaw summit, with a cliffhanger nation election a week ago still without a clear result. The $100 million annual commitment comprises an $80 million contribution to the Afghan National Army and $20 million for the Afghan police. (Reuters)

Ahead of NATO summit, Australia pledges extra $300 million for Afghan security forces

US President Barack Obama may not decide before the NATO summit next month whether to alter plans to nearly halve America&#39;s forces in Afghanistan, a diplomat and a US official said. 
 
A decision had been expected at or before the summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 on whether to stick to plans to slash the 9,800 troops to 5,500 before Obama leaves office next year. 
 
Former commanders and envoys have warned that it would be a mistake. And with preparations in full swing for the summit, the timing of any decision by Obama remains unclear. 
 
US defence secretary Ash Carter flies to Brussels on Monday to meet NATO counterparts, with Afghanistan expected to be high on the agenda. 
 
One reason to decide on slowing the US drawdown before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan, where President Ashraf Ghani&#39;s government is battling a Taliban insurgency that has gathered fresh momentum. 
 
NATO allies seem less intent on cutting their troop presence, which could give Obama more time to formulate and telegraph his own plans. 
 
&quot;We have been moderately, pleasantly surprised at the willingness to stay at current levels of most other allies, and some willingness to consider increasing,&quot; said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
&quot;Just because there is a summit doesn&rsquo;t mean (you) need a decision,&quot; he added. 
 
To be sure, Afghanistan will be a major issue at the summit and Obama still could make a decision before then. 
 
&quot;It does not have to happen by Warsaw but it certainly will be a topic there,&quot; said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. &quot;The size and scope of other nation contributions are a logical consideration in our decision-making.&quot; 
 
The White House has yet to receive the recommendations from its new commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, who conducted a comprehensive security review during his first 90 days on the job. The review&#39;s results have not been made public. 
 
In a sign of his willingness to broaden the US role in Afghanistan, Obama last week approved giving the US military greater ability to accompany and to enable Afghan forces in offensive operations, including carrying out air strikes. 
 
Speaking on Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the decision to broaden the remit &quot;does not limit in any way our ability to follow through with the plan to draw down our troops at a level of 5,500 troops by the end of this year.&quot; 
 
Obama would consider changing the troop numbers if Nicholson recommended that, Earnest said. 
 
Nicholson&#39;s predecessors and former US envoys to Afghanistan urged Obama earlier this month to keep troop levels steady at near 10,000 through the remainder of his term. 
 
&quot;This approach would also allow your successor to assess the situation for herself or himself and make further adjustments accordingly,&quot; the letter read. &nbsp; 
 
Cutting the forces to 5,500, in turn, would erode the morale of Afghan government forces and bolster the Taliban, they wrote. 
 
Obama has already scaled back the troop withdrawal plans he laid out in May 2014, when he pledged to cut to roughly 5,000 by end 2015 and to &quot;a normal embassy presence ... with a security assistance component, just as we&#39;ve done in Iraq&quot; by the end of 2016. 
 
Among the factors weighing in his troop decision include how much, if any, additional support he may get from other NATO nations; the signal that a cut will send to Ghani and to the Taliban; and what kind of legacy he leaves his successor.

One reason for the slow US draw down before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan

US President Barack Obama may not decide before the NATO summit next month whether to alter plans to nearly halve America's forces in Afghanistan, a diplomat and a US official said. A decision had been expected at or before the summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 on whether to stick to plans to slash the 9,800 troops to 5,500 before Obama leaves office next year. Former commanders and envoys have warned that it would be a mistake. And with preparations in full swing for the summit, the timing of any decision by Obama remains unclear. US defence secretary Ash Carter flies to Brussels on Monday to meet NATO counterparts, with Afghanistan expected to be high on the agenda. One reason to decide on slowing the US drawdown before the summit might be to encourage NATO allies to keep their troops in Afghanistan, where President Ashraf Ghani's government is battling a Taliban insurgency that has gathered fresh momentum. NATO allies seem less intent on cutting their troop presence, which could give Obama more time to formulate and telegraph his own plans. "We have been moderately, pleasantly surprised at the willingness to stay at current levels of most other allies, and some willingness to consider increasing," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Just because there is a summit doesn’t mean (you) need a decision," he added. To be sure, Afghanistan will be a major issue at the summit and Obama still could make a decision before then. "It does not have to happen by Warsaw but it certainly will be a topic there," said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The size and scope of other nation contributions are a logical consideration in our decision-making." The White House has yet to receive the recommendations from its new commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, who conducted a comprehensive security review during his first 90 days on the job. The review's results have not been made public. In a sign of his willingness to broaden the US role in Afghanistan, Obama last week approved giving the US military greater ability to accompany and to enable Afghan forces in offensive operations, including carrying out air strikes. Speaking on Friday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters the decision to broaden the remit "does not limit in any way our ability to follow through with the plan to draw down our troops at a level of 5,500 troops by the end of this year." Obama would consider changing the troop numbers if Nicholson recommended that, Earnest said. Nicholson's predecessors and former US envoys to Afghanistan urged Obama earlier this month to keep troop levels steady at near 10,000 through the remainder of his term. "This approach would also allow your successor to assess the situation for herself or himself and make further adjustments accordingly," the letter read. Cutting the forces to 5,500, in turn, would erode the morale of Afghan government forces and bolster the Taliban, they wrote. Obama has already scaled back the troop withdrawal plans he laid out in May 2014, when he pledged to cut to roughly 5,000 by end 2015 and to "a normal embassy presence ... with a security assistance component, just as we've done in Iraq" by the end of 2016. Among the factors weighing in his troop decision include how much, if any, additional support he may get from other NATO nations; the signal that a cut will send to Ghani and to the Taliban; and what kind of legacy he leaves his successor.

Decision to halve US troops in Afghanistan unlikely by Warsaw summit

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Warsaw summit: Deputy NSA Pankaj Saran to represent India

Obama will leave Europe early to travel to Dallas after deadly ambush

NATO sends military troops to Poland, Baltic states against Russia

Ahead of NATO summit, Australia pledges extra $300 million for Afghan security forces

Decision to halve US troops in Afghanistan unlikely by Warsaw summit