Biden, troop levels and the 9/11 legacy

Despite pressure from the left, Joe Biden is making it clear that if he wins, he won't just pull up stakes from Afghanistan and the region.

Driving the news: Biden made news on Thursday when he told Stars and Stripes that he supports a sustained U.S. military footprint of up to 1,500-2,000 on the ground — primarily for special operations against ISIS and other terror threats — in the war that began after the 9/11 terrorist attacks 19 years ago.

"These forever wars have to end ... but here's the problem, we still have to worry about terrorism," Biden said.
He also told the military newspaper he doesn't expect major cuts to the U.S. defense budget given the threats posed by China and Russia and the need for more cyber and unmanned technology.
Why it matters: Biden's insistence on a counter-ISIS force puts him to the right of President Trump's rhetoric — though the maximum levels Biden is talking about are lower than what the winner in November can expect to inherit — but the Democratic nominee's stance also could give some assurances to centrist voters from both parties.