“U.S. military leaders have presented the White House with a plan that would keep 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014, but then start drawing the force down to nearly zero by the end of President Barack Obama’s term,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The request reflects a far shorter time frame for a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan than commanders had previously envisaged after the current international mission ends this year. The new approach is intended to buy the U.S. military the ability to advise and train the Afghan army but still allow Mr. Obama to leave office saying he ended America’s longest war, the officials said.”