...KABOOM!...
s in the country to defend population centers after the withdrawal completes.
"Going forward, in terms of our (counterterrorism) efforts, those CT efforts will be focused on those elements that can possibly conduct attacks against our homeland," Austin said as quoted by the Air Force magazine.
Austin said the US military is already conducting air combat patrols and support from ships in the Gulf and sending surveillance aircraft to Afghanistan from nations in the Gulf region.
As of now, he said, the US is still looking for options to station troops and aircraft in neighboring countries to make the flight to Afghanistan shorter.
"We have the capability now to do that," Austin said. "What we are looking for is the ability to shorten the legs going forward by stationing some capability in neighboring countries. That is still a work in progress."
In response to a question on whether US aircraft would strike in support of Afghan forces to protect cities after the withdrawal, Austin said he would not speculate on "any potential outcomes or any potential future actions."
"We continue to provide support to the Afghan cops as we retrograde," he said. "Once we have completed our retrograde, that will be very difficult to do because our capabilities will have diminished in country."