Afghanistan US Troop Exit May Be Rapid
EmailAt first the military hoped there might be as many as 20,000 U.S. troops left behind after combat operations in Afghanistan officially cease at the end of 2014. But now an administration official is saying that number will not exceed 10,000 and could be even be zero.
That will likely mean between 3,000 to 6,000 troops. But remember Iraq, where everyone was predicting a sizable presence, and that was cut to nothing on the military side–outside of the embassy.
What we will see in the coming months is how fast the drawdown occurs. We have around 66,000 troops there right now. The president would like to reduce that fairly quickly over the next few years so there is not sudden departure of all the troops.
Gen. John Allen, who will be gone from Afghanistan next month, wants to hang onto them as long as possible. My guess is that a sizable force will remain through this fighting season, and then it will be fairly rapid drawdown.
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Left up to obama we will get out totally. He is committed to a withdrawal of the US from the world militarily. The vacuum will be filled by the Chinese and the terrorists. You will live to see this with obvious results. The consequences will be very unpleasant for us when the reality sets in and it is unmistakable. Then it will be too late.
Posted by: Perplexed | January 7, 2013, 9:25 am 9:25 am
Considering, we should have been out of Vietnamistan the Sequel™ in early 2009, there’s nothing “rapid” about us getting out in 2014.
Posted by: Noz | January 7, 2013, 10:22 am 10:22 am
1. Afghanistan should never be compared to Iraq. They’re completely different people and terrain with completely different cultures.
2. The more rapid the withdraw, the more problems they’re going to have. Afghans aren’t know for stepping up, and have had a hard time realizing that the Americans really are leaving. It’ll be like the crew of the Sand Pebbles watching the Chinese kill each other on the docks.
Posted by: Dalmation | January 7, 2013, 11:06 am 11:06 am
Posted by: Dalmation | January 7, 2013, 11:06 am 11:06 am
For some people it will be too fast, for others it will be too slow.
Posted by: charger | January 7, 2013, 12:26 pm 12:26 pm
If you have ever lived in the ME of close to it, you would recognize that it doesn’t matter when we pull out, the people are lazy and want others to do their security and defense work, with the exception of Turkey. We can teach them all we want, they have no drive or work ethic. They would rather pray than work. I lived over there for 4 years and if you want a great example of what I am saying, just look at the United Arab Emirates. They have 750,000 nationals and over 3 million foreigners running the country.
Posted by: Commonsenseparty | January 7, 2013, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
Posted by: Commonsenseparty | January 7, 2013, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
That’s what colonialists always say.
Posted by: Jada | January 7, 2013, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm
Jada | January 7, 2013, 12:59 pm —– Have you ever lived over there? I just call itlike I see it. I have visited 9 different countries in the ME and Africa and worked alongside many of them. Call it what you want, but I have seen it many times.
Posted by: Commonsenseparty | January 7, 2013, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm