Petraeus backs Afghanistan drawdown

[ProSense]

Petraeus backs Afghanistan drawdown

US and NATO commander backs drawdown in July, but says he does not know how many troops will be pulled out.

David Petraeus, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told the US congress on Tuesday that he supports beginning to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in July - but does not know how many soldiers will be pulled out.

Petraeus told the US senate's armed services committee that the Taliban's progress has been "arrested in much of the country and reversed in a number of important areas." But he called that a "fragile and reversible" trend.

Afghan security forces are expected to take responsibility this year for security in several provinces.

Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, will formally announce that handover in a speech next week. NATO officials say the handover will probably include two provinces, Bamiyan and Panjshir, both of which are fairly secure; and three cities, including Herat in the west and Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.

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[thereismore]

1. Maybe 2 troops? nt

[tekisui]

2. Does not know how many will move out. It will only be enough to

claim success. Probably no more than a couple thousand, just a gesture really.

[frylock]

3. i'm sure that whatever number of forces are removed will be backfilled by contractors

[gratuitous]

4. Duh - winning!

As long as we sit tight, hold on with all our might, we got 'em on the ropes! As soon as our attention wanders, or our strength flags, or we run out of money to support an occupation/invation 10,000 miles away, we're fucked. Looks like we are in Afghanistan forever, locked in a mortal embrace with an enemy we can never defeat and can never turn away from. There's something wrong with this strategy, but as I'm just a dirty fucking hippie who thinks all war is sin, I'm sure I couldn't possibly put my finger on what it is.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. CYA to admitting that we lost...again.

Not to mention the double-speak of "arrested..and reversed..in much of the country" followed by "fragile and reversible". But, there'll be a nice memorial to the cannon fodder wasted to save face.

[gateley]

6. I'm banging the Biden drum again, but he advised Obama NOT to escalate in

Afghanistan. I give Obama props for taking the time to consider it, but he went with the Military's recommendation in the end. Maybe next time he'll give more credence to Biden (IF next time, Biden gives 'good' advice, natch.)

I'm of the belief that Obama really wants to do what's best, but I'm surprised by his naivete in some areas - this being one of them.


Edit - got a little apostrophe happy.