U.S. weighs slowing Afghan withdrawal to ensure 'progress sticks' - Carter

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter (C) is greeted by Senior Military Assistant U.S. Army Major General Ron Lewis (L) as they arrive to travel to Afghanistan from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland February 20, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

KABUL (Reuters) - The United States is considering slowing a planned withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to ensure that "progress sticks" after more than a decade of war, new Defense Secretary Ash Carter said during an unannounced visit to Kabul on Saturday.

Under the current plan, the United States will halve the number of troops in Afghanistan to just over 5,000 this year, gradually winding down to a "normal" U.S. embassy presence by the end of 2016.