ANALYSIS: NATO faces conundrum as it mulls Afghan pullout

In this March 20, 2018, file photo, NATO soldiers fly in a U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft during a routine movement of NATO troops, transporting them from Kandahar to Kabul. After 20 years of military engagement and billions of dollars spent, NATO and the United States still grapple with the same, seemingly intractable conundrum – how to withdraw troops from Afghanistan without abandoning the country to even more mayhem. AP photo/Rahmat Gul file photo
Kathy GannonThe Associated PressAfter 20 years of military engagement and billions of dollars spent, NATO and the United States still grapple with the same, seemingly intractable conundrum — how to withdraw troops from Afghanistan without abandoning the country to even more mayhem.An accelerated U.S. drawdown over the past few months, led by the previous U.S. administration, has signaled what may be in store.Violence is spiking and the culprits are, well, everyone: the Taliban, the Islamic State group, warlords, criminal gangs and corrupt government officials.Currently, 2,500 U.S. and about 10,000 NATO troops are still in Afghanistan. NATO defense ministers will meet Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 17-18, to discuss the way forward.Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is r
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