New York
Amid the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, U.S. officials in Kabul are developing plans to reduce the large contingent of contractors and other personnel at the massive U.S. Embassy complex, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
Citing embassy officials and contractors, the newspaper said in a dispatch from Kabul that State Department officials are undertaking an intensive look at the number of staffers at the embassy, which houses roughly 4,000 diplomats, contractors and other staff, including about 1,400 Americans.
The review is expected to result in a significant reduction of the thousands of Afghan and American contractors as well as those from other countries, the newspaper said, citing officials. port the government, while also preparing to respond to security concerns.
“We don’t want to draw down the mission so much so we can’t do our crucial diplomatic work,” one official was quoted as saying in the WSJ report. —APP
