US to unveil Afghanistan troops pullout

US President Barack Obama is due to announce plans on US troops drawdown from war-hit Afghanistan।

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/185749.html

US President Barack Obama is set to unveil his administration's plans for American troops' withdrawal from war-torn Afghanistan during an upcoming speech.

In a planned televised speech on Wednesday, Obama is expected to elaborate on the details of his plans, which all deal specifically with the 30,000 surge troops dispatched to Afghanistan last year, the Associated Press reported.

The US president is reportedly mulling over a phased withdrawal as his first option that would bring home about 5,000 troops over the summer and another 5,000 by the end of 2011. The remainder would stay in the war-ravaged Asian country until late 2012.

Obama's second option is withdrawing 15,000 troops in 2011 and his third option is reportedly aimed at setting an endpoint, requiring the 30,000 surge troops to be brought home by December 2012. The pace of troop withdrawal in the third option will be decided by US commanders.

In December 2009, Obama announced a surge of 30,000 troops in an effort to defeat al-Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan or in neighboring Pakistan. The White House later announced that a sizeable contingent of combat troops would remain in Afghanistan until at least 2014.

Today, battle-weary Americans are urging the Obama administration to put an end to Afghanistan war and lawmakers have also joined the fray.

Obama's civilian advisors have recommended that if the US president wants to be re-elected next year, he should demonstrate a robust withdrawal. However, Top US commander David Petraeus has already indicated that it would be a tactical mistake to reduce US troops on the ground in July.

The United Stated waged a war on Afghanistan in 2001 under the excuse of capturing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was allegedly killed by American forces after ten years in Pakistan.