A deeply conflicted US President Barack Obama warned earlier this year when he extended the American troop presence in Afghanistan that he did not support “the idea of endless war,” The Washington Post reported Tuesday

For Obama, the deaths Monday of six US soldiers near Bagram air base underscore the perils of his decision to keep as many as 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through much of next year.

A war that Obama had pledged to end before he left office is now increasingly looking endless. That war followed him to his native Hawaii, where he is on a two-week vacation with his wife and daughters.

Obama has spoken bluntly of the emotional toll that American military deaths have taken on him as he has dispatched troops to Iraq, Afghanistan and most recently Syria. Last month, he lashed out at critics urging him to do more militarily in Iraq and Syria, saying he wouldn’t send US forces into combat just to look “tough.”

"Part of the reason is because every few months I go to Walter Reed, and I see a 25-year-old kid who’s paralyzed or has lost his limbs, and some of those are people I’ve ordered into battle,” Obama said. “And so I can’t afford to play some of the political games that others may.”

The remarks prompted a backlash from some Republicans, who accused Obama of politicizing American troops’ sacrifices.

The most recent deaths, coming just before Christmas and just a few months after Obama’s decision to extend the longest war in American history into his successor’s presidency, are likely to stick with the president.

He didn’t speak directly about the losses Monday; instead, his press secretary issued a statement.

“The United States condemns this cowardly attack on members of the US and Afghan forces, and we remain committed to supporting the Afghan people and their government,” the statement said.

ut the six deaths on Monday underscore Obama’s growing sense that he will leave office with one of his toughest and most important missions unfulfilled.

Source: MENA