Washington (CNN) -
President Joe Biden plans to announce the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to three people familiar with the plans.
The pullout extends the presence of US troops beyond the May 1 deadline set by the Trump administration in a deal with the Taliban, but only for a matter of months.
Biden has been weighing the decision for months with his advisers, noting that he did not believe that US troops should remain in the country long past the deadline.
Officials are expected to explain the decision later on Tuesday.
The Washington Post newspaper was the first to report the news.
US officials say there are about 2,500 soldiers in Afghanistan.
Furthermore, it is not clear what will happen to the several hundred US special operations forces that collaborate with the CIA on counterterrorism missions.
These troops are not publicly recognized and are not part of the formal estimate of 2,500 troops in the country.
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The decision would end the longest war in American history
Biden's new deadline for withdrawing US troops on September 11 would mark the symbolic end of the longest war in US history: Exactly 20 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, that fueled the invasion. initial of Afghanistan by the United States.
Withdrawing troops from Afghanistan is the first major decision of the Biden presidency regarding US troops abroad, and Biden debated what to do for months before the May 1 deadline set by his predecessor.
Last month, Biden noted that the May 1 deadline was unlikely to be met, but said in his first press conference as president that he did not anticipate US troops staying in Afghanistan next year.
We will not stay long.
We'll go, ”Biden said.
"The question is when do we leave?"
He added that "it will be difficult to meet the May 1 deadline, simply for tactical reasons."
Secretary of State Tony Blinken laid the groundwork for Biden to announce the withdrawal in a phone call with President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday, according to two sources familiar with the call.
Blinken did not disclose precise details about the withdrawal, but explained that Biden would call Ghani on Thursday, and Blinken relayed to the Afghan president that Biden had decided to withdraw US troops over the course of the next few months.
Officials in the Biden administration have also been signaling to Afghan officials present at the operational level that this was the direction they were taking, a source explained.
The Biden administration is also making a series of phone calls to its allies in the region this afternoon to detail what its planned strategy consists of, two diplomatic sources told CNN.
Ghani tweeted on Tuesday that he had spoken with Blinken about planned US-backed peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, set for this week, and about Biden's upcoming phone call.
«Today I spoke with the secretary @ABlinken.
We have discussed the ongoing peace process, the upcoming peace talks in Turkey and also the upcoming phone call with President @JoeBiden, ”Ghani tweeted.
The decision carries risks
The decision to set a deadline for the withdrawal carries risks, as senior military officials have advocated keeping US troops in the country and have argued that a premature withdrawal could lead to the collapse of the Afghan government.
Recent attacks on US forces in Afghanistan have also fueled concern.
CNN reported last week that the Taliban twice attacked one of the country's most heavily guarded bases in March and that US military personnel working for the CIA were at the facility when it was attacked.
The United States wants to maintain an intelligence presence in Afghanistan, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The annual assessment by the US intelligence community released on Tuesday said the possibility of a peace agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government "remains low for the next year."
"The Taliban are likely to gain ground on the battlefield, and the Afghan government will have a hard time keeping the Taliban at bay if the coalition withdraws its support," says the assessment.
This news is last minute and will be updated.
Afghanistan: American troops