Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Obama to Bring Home 30K Troops by Fall of 2012

That's faster than the military would like in Afghanistan

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 22, 2011 3:42 PM CDT

(Newser) – A few hours ahead of President Obama's prime-time address on Afghanistan, administration officials are leaking some main points to the AP, Washington Post, and the New York Times:

Obama will bring home 10,000 troops this year and another 20,000 or so by the end of next summer.
Those combined withdrawals will effectively mean the return home of all the "surge" troops Obama sent to Afghanistan in 2009. Another 70,000 US troops would remain in the country heading into 2013.

The timeline does not please Gen. David Petraeus, who wants the surge troops to remain through the end of 2012—long enough for another season of fighting. (The Times says Petraeus did not endorse the decision, though Robert Gates and Hillary Clinton did with reluctance.)
Though generals think it's too much, too fast, Obama will likely face criticism from the growing number of critics who say the US should bring home more troops even quicker.
The president gives his 10-minute address at 8pm ET.

President Obama speaks to supporters at a campaign rally in Miami in this photo taken June 13, 2011. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

81%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Obama: 'Time to Focus on Nation-Building' at Home

33K 'surge' troops will be home by next summer

(NEWSER) - President Obama outlined his Afghanistan strategy in a prime-time address tonight, with no late surprises on the numbers: As expected , the US will bring home 10,000 troops by the end of 2011 and rest of the "surge" force (about 23,000 troops) by the end of next summer, reports MSNBC . That will leave 70,000 American troops in Afghanistan, and they will "continue coming home at a steady pace as Afghan security forces move into the lead," a process he said should be complete by 2014. More»

Pentagon: Wait Til Fall 2012 to End Afghanistan Surge

Military pushes for slow withdrawal as Obama weighs next move

(NEWSER) - The military has called on President Obama to keep the Afghanistan troop surge in place until the fall of next year, ensuring that many of the 33,000 extra troops remain in the country for the next two fighting seasons, when the weather is warm. The military wants to avoid a 2012 scenario in which it loses large numbers of troops just as militants are becoming most active, the Wall Street Journal reports. The move would come with a political perk for Obama: Many troops would be coming home just before the 2012 election. More»

Forget About That 2011 Withdrawal Date

Petraeus won't let the US draw down, even though he should

(NEWSER) - With David Petraeus running the show in Afghanistan, you can forget about US troops beginning to withdraw as promised in July of next year, writes Andrew Sullivan. Obama's pledge is "now kaput," he writes at his Daily Dish blog at the Atlantic. "It won't happen. I doubt it will happen in a second term either." Petraeus, remember, is the architect of the Afghan strategy. More»

US Support for Afghan War Plummets

69% say US shouldn't be there

(NEWSER) - American support for the war in Afghanistan has reached an all-time low, according to the latest New York Times / CBS poll. Some 69% of those polled believe the US shouldn't be fighting in Afghanistan, up from 53% just four months ago. Support has plunged among both Democrats and Republicans, with 68% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans saying the war is going somewhat or very badly, according to the poll, which is consistent with several other recent surveys. More»

Obama Visits Dover to Salute Fallen SEALs

He will meet privately with troops' families today

(NEWSER) - President Obama made an unannounced visit to Dover Air Force Base today to be on hand as the coffins of 30 US troops were carried off a plane, reports USA Today . The ceremony was closed to the press. The troops, many of them members of an elite Navy SEALS unit, were killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan over the weekend, and Obama was to meet privately with their families today. NATO thinks a Taliban rocket likely brought down the chopper. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Obama to Bring Home 30K Troops by Fall of 2012

That's faster than the military would like in Afghanistan

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

David Petraeus • US military • troop withdrawal • Afghanistan war • President Obama

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Obama: 'Time to Focus on Nation-Building' at Home

33K 'surge' troops will be home by next summer

Pentagon: Wait Til Fall 2012 to End Afghanistan Surge

Military pushes for slow withdrawal as Obama weighs next move

Forget About That 2011 Withdrawal Date

Petraeus won't let the US draw down, even though he should

US Support for Afghan War Plummets

69% say US shouldn't be there

Obama Visits Dover to Salute Fallen SEALs

He will meet privately with troops' families today

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?