U.S. May Start Pulling Out of Afghanistan Next Spring

[ECH1969]

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 13 - Senior Pentagon and military officials are discussing a proposal to cut American troop levels in Afghanistan by as much as 20 percent next spring, the largest withdrawal since the Taliban were ousted in late 2001.

The troops would be replaced by NATO soldiers, who now oversee security and reconstruction missions in northern and western Afghanistan and are to take over an American command in the south next spring. American troops have been taxed by lengthy deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Pentagon officials have sought to replace them with indigenous or allied troops.

Military officials emphasize that any reductions in the nearly American 20,000 troops in Afghanistan hinge on resolution of the details with NATO, successful parliamentary and provincial elections and stable security.

"It makes sense that as NATO forces go in, and they're more in numbers, that we could drop some of the U.S. requirements somewhat," Gen. John P. Abizaid, the head the United States Central Command, said in an interview here on Tuesday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/14/international/asia/14afghan.html

[democracyindanger]

1. One guess where they pull out to. nt

[ret5hd]

2. So, the "cut-n-run" from that evil bin laden begins in spring, huh?

funny how we'll be in iraq (no wmd's, no int'l terrorists, but lots'a oil) longer than afghanistan (bin laden, taliban, no oil)

[enigami]

3. Sure

and the troops will be home from Bosnia by Christmas (1996)

[babylonsister]

4. Do '06 elections have anything to do with this, ya think?

My other thought is, now we're accepting help from foreigners, when it was spurned prior to going into the mideast? Pleeeeze!

[matt819]

8. Precisely. . .

They will milk this for the next 8-10 months, enough so that the voters will believe the troops are out, thanks to their republican leadership, etc. Hell, if they play this right, they'll have their base believing Clinton sent troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. And, lo and behold, come the day after election day in 2006, the news will trickle out that we have the same number of troops in Afghanistan, still getting killed, and still not able to find Osama.

[enigma000]

5. Americans are bored with Afghanistan

They like target rich environments, if you know what I mean. The administration must be chirping " leave it for NATO, leave it for our allies ". Lord knows, there are plenty of other sand******* to target in the Islamic World.

[Lindacooks]

6. How conveenniiieeeennnnt!

Just in time for the midterm elections.

[Barrett808]

7. I suspect "NATO" means "UK"

MoD Documents leaked earler this year said that 5,000 UK troops were needed immediately in Afghanistan to prevent "complete strategic failure."

[darkism]

9. Well that was one big giant waste of time, then.

No Osama and the Taliban is regrouping.

::smacks head::

[newscott]

10. Apparently poppies for poppy is in full swing now?

[Just Me]

11. Will the torture and brainwashing chambers be closed down, too?

Oh, I forgot, they've been relocated,...well, some of them. We must maintain a means of enslaving human beings to our will.