STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Wednesday rejected suggestions that the military should have greater flexibility to rethink its withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2016 and allow commanders to make some decisions based on the conditions in the country.

Hagel said President Barack Obama’s decision to cut the number of troops in Afghanistan to less than 5,000 by the end of 2015 and leave only about 1,000 in a security office after the end of 2016 will stand.

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