Yesterday (22/6/11) US President Barack Obama announced plans to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan. Although I've only seen about two minutes of the speech let alone read the full plan the main points seem to be;
5,000 troops will be withdrawn in July 2011. Following a review of the situation on the ground another 5,000 troops will be withdrawn in December 2011. Then another review will take place before another 23,000 troops are withdrawn in September 2012, just in time for the November Presidential election. The remaining 68,000 troops will be gradually withdrawn until the 2014 deadline when the country will be handed back to the Afghan security forces (Afghan National Army, ANA/ Afghan National Police, ANP.
By contrast Britain has announced that it will make a statement on the withdrawal of Britain's 9,500 troops in the coming weeks. However the military and crown elements of the British state are pushing for British troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond 2015 and there are rumours that they also want full responsibility for training (read control of) the Afghan security forces. France has today (23/6/11) announced that it is pegging the withdrawal of it's 4,000 troops to the timetable set by the Americans.
So for all his talk of need for nation building at home Obama still wants to teach the world to sing.
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