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US PRESIDENT Barack Obama is expected to unveil his programme for withdrawing some 10,000 US troops from Afghanistan in two batches over the coming year.
About half are expected to be brought back to the US this summer and another 5,000 by winter or spring 2012. The US first invaded Afghanistan in late 2011 as part of its ‘war on terror’ and it now has about 100,000 troops there.
The 10,000 troops expected to be earmarked for withdrawal are part of the 30,000-strong ‘surge’ force sent by Obama to tackle the Taliban and dismantle al-Qaeda’s operations in Afghanistan. Reuters reports that Obama met with the commander of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan General David Petraeus last week to discuss America’s withdrawal options.
The Council for Foreign Relations reported over a week ago that the 30,000 troops are expected to be pulled out over a 12-18 month period. Only removing 10,000 of those by summer 2012 allows the US to maintain high troop levels through two more fighting seasons.
The end of 2014 has been set at the final date for the US and its allies to end their combat mission in Afghanistan.
Obama is due to make a special address on the issue from the White House this evening.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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Mary Robinson is an amazing woman…and she’s there because of the influential people and countries that ‘do’ listen to her and….
That is why she does what others find excuses not to do!
Mary helps the less fortunate..we could do with her extraordinary positive intelligence right about now
I hope she can bring help to the situation. Its scary to think that a number greater than the population of Ireland is under the malnutrition line…
Waste of time and money!
Dont they realize the international community is really not that interested.
Shut up, idiot.
Gud ol Mary glory hunting as usual, she was stuck in d middle of d queens visit tho it was the president that organised it n now she’s glory hunting again. Worst president we Ever had.
I tend to agree with u, Randy. I always got the impression that she was self serving. She’s a “champagne socialist”. Didn’t she & her father object to a site that was to be devoted to travellers in Mayo years ago. The site happened to be near her Dad’s home. Eamon Dunphy was right about her all along – “official Ireland”. A real Not In My Back Yard. The problems in the Horn Of Africa are dreadful & it is wrong to see people suffer. Let’s hope international aid will come to help them. However – I feel the world doesn’t need a self serving person like her to make us all aware. She got extremely well paid when President & is in receipt of a very handsome pension. She hasn’t taken a cut voluntarily to help out our own country. So, Randy – u are right. The worst president – ever.
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