President Obama will move the United States a step closer to ending the war in Afghanistan when he announces plans Wednesday to bring thousands of American troops home, beginning next month.
Administration officials said the president was still in the final phase of a decision-making process that has focused not only on how many troops will come home in July, but also on a broader withdrawal blueprint designed to put the U.S. on a path toward giving Afghans control of their security by 2014.
Obama was given a range of options for the withdrawal last week by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan. The military favors a gradual reduction in troops but other advisers are advocating a significant decrease in the coming months.
While the president has said he favors a significant withdrawal, his advisers have not quantified that statement.
Obama is expected to make Wednesday's announcement in Washington.
President Obama plans to announce his decision on the scale and pace of troop withdrawals from Afghanistan in a speech on Wednesday evening, an administration official said Monday.
As he closes in on a decision, another official said, Mr. Obama is considering options that range from a Pentagon-backed proposal to pull out only 5,000 troops this year to an aggressive plan to withdraw within 12 months all 30,000 troops the United States deployed to Afghanistan as part of the surge in December 2009.
Under another option, a third official said, Mr. Obama would announce a final date for the withdrawal of all the surge forces sometime in 2012, but leave the timetable for incremental reductions up to commanders in the field — much as he did in drawing down troops after the surge in Iraq.
The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, said the president had not yet “finalized” his decision. But the planning for a rollout of the announcement was well under way, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton scheduled to testify Thursday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Administration officials said Mr. Obama would most likely pull out the entire 30,000 troops by the end of 2012. What is still not known is how soon and how fast, though as the administration’s deliberations wind down, the outlines of the main proposals are becoming clearer.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
I just hope it is done in a safe and smart way, and we recognize our brave servicemen and women and welcome them home with open arms! Doesn't seem like we do the parade thing anymore and honor our soldiers. Sad really. I have to go the the third page of smiles to find an american flag.
If you want to be, press one. If you want not to be, press 2
Republicans are red, democrats are blue, neither of them, gives a flip about you.
Science Chic wrote: Administration officials said the president was still in the final phase of a decision-making process that has focused not only on how many troops will come home in July, but also on a broader withdrawal blueprint designed to put the U.S. on a path toward giving Afghans control of their security by 2014.
How ironic. Our withdrawl from Afghanistan finishes the same time that the advance to full Obamacare completes! Maybe we need more troops here? lol
Last report I heard with numbers on it was 10000. Now 1 Armored Division 3BCT is deploying there in October along with the Ohio National Guard that is going I believe in July. Believing is seeing.
Joe wrote: I just hope it is done in a safe and smart way, and we recognize our brave servicemen and women and welcome them home with open arms! Doesn't seem like we do the parade thing anymore and honor our soldiers. Sad really. I have to go the the third page of smiles to find an american flag.
Come on down to our Breakfast third sunday of each month. We also march in the Christmas Parade and just finished the Rubarb festival Parade. Most of us do not need a parade or ceremony to know what we did. But a Thank you to these Men and Women go along way.
Bring them home safe. The Afghan theater is very dynamic and there are too many ways for a troop withdrawal to go wrong.
As the troops arrive in the US and back at their homes no level of celebration is out of the question! Let's do all we can to thank those who gave some much of their own lives to allow the rest of us our freedom and way of life!
I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you.
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." - Henry Ford
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges; When the Republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous. - Publius Cornelius Tacitus
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/06 ... cal-battle Obama and Afghanistan: Here Comes the Political Battle
The President's announcement that he will withdraw 30,000 troops is unlikely to satisfy hawks or doves, but sure to fuel the burgeoning debate on the war.
— By David Corn
Wed Jun. 22, 2011
Thirty thousand. That's reportedly the number of troops President Obama plans to announce on Wednesday night that he will pull out of Afghanistan by the end of 2012 (with 10,000 to be out by the end of this year). Call this the Goldilocks approach—not too much, not too little. But the withdrawal of these troops will probably freak out the hawks (cue griping from Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham and their neocon comrades), while failing to satisfy the doves of the right and left who have been calling for an end to the war. Obama, though, will be able to present a strong argument that calling back about one-third of the US troops deployed in Afghanistan is indeed making good on his promise to start a meaningful draw-down in July 2011.
So prepare for plenty of debate and hand-wringing over the number. But the more fundamental matter remains: What are America's aims in Afghanistan and can they be accomplished?
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
We have 100K over there, why is 70k OK, but 100K is not?
If "the lucky manchild" doesn't listen to HIS GENERALS, look for 70K more troops, in a greater danger.
Question: Will he next hold a press conf. to accounes when the transport planes will be leaving?
I don't doubt it!
I don't understand why we always have to tell the world (including our enemies) when we will pull out and how many we will pull out. Is this a global law we need to follow now? If we're going to withdraw troops, screw the media, it's nothing they need to know.
The left is angry because they are now being judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.
