In news from the U.S. war in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has reportedly told NATO the U.S. is again reconsidering the proposed withdrawal of U.S. forces. The U.S. currently has 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The current plan is to reduce this number to 5,500 by the end of this year. Carter’s comments Wednesday come as NATO countries agreed to extend the mission in Afghanistan through 2017 and to keep the network of bases across the country in place.