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Home Front: Politix
Barack Obama and Pentagon split on Afghanistan pullout
2011-06-21
Barack Obama is set to reject the advice of the Pentagon by announcing on Wednesday night the withdrawal of up to 30,000 troops from Afghanistan by November next year, in time for the US presidential election.

The move comes despite warnings from his military commanders that recent security gains are fragile. They have been urging him to keep troop numbers high until 2013.

The accelerated drawdown will dismay American and British commanders in Kabul, who have privately expressed concern that the White House is now being driven by political rather than military imperatives.

"This is not something we feel entirely comfortable with," a Whitehall official told the Guardian.

Obama's nationally televised address, the sixth he has given since becoming president, is intended to mark the beginning of the end of American military deployment in Afghanistan, from a present high of almost 100,000 troops.

The White House confirmed that the withdrawal will be "significant".

Obama's decision is aimed at placating an American public tired of a 10-year war that has cost 1,522 US lives. The killing of Osama bin Laden added impetus to calls to pull out.
Posted by:DarthVader

#5  Wid the NUCLEAR CALIPHATE will also come [non-State = NGOS]PROXY NUCLEAR MILITANCY-TERRORISM.

* ION DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > OBAMA [likely] TO WITHDRAW 30,000 TROOPS AGZ PENTAGON ADVICE.

* TIMES OF INDIA > OBAMA LIKELY TO CUT 10,000 TROOPS FROM AFGHANISTAN.
> May pull out 5000 US troops this summer, + another 5000 by EOY 2011, Total = 10,000.
> Pull out 20,000 US Troops for 2012?

versus

* SAME [old] > US COULD WITHDRAW 70,000 TROOPS IN THREE YEARS.

Iff NATO HISTORY is any measure, US NATO allies will prefer NOT to stay in AFPAK widout US leadership or $$$ support.

Also read, TEST OF OWG-NWO "REGIONALISM/
CONTINENTALISM" I.E. CAN THE US' TRUSTED ALLIES TAKE THE LEAD IN REGIONAL SECURITY + DEV WIDOUT MAJOR OR ANY US INVOLVEMENT???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2011-06-21 22:15  

#4  "now being driven by political rather than military imperatives"

Now? Whaddaya mean now? When were they not?
Posted by: Barbara   2011-06-21 22:10  

#3  The accelerated drawdown will dismay American and British commanders in Kabul, who have privately expressed concern that the White House is now being driven by political rather than military imperatives.

These must be the commanders who have not yet read Clauswitz. Wonder if they know who Elphinstone was.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2011-06-21 21:37  

#2  Trying to buy votes and satisfy his left-wing constituency. Oh, that would be his entire constituency.
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-06-21 19:23  

#1  AFAIC, 2011-2014 its all but absolute that the MilTerrs in PAK will bide their time in order to focus on "POLITICAL JIHAD", i.e. formally acquiring significant Govt. power, iff not domination, via regular or normal national electoral process e.g. HEZBOLLAH [Lebanon], MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD {Egypt].

Not only newfound National, Geopol-level political power, but also control of State-specific Civilian = Military? Nucprogs.

Radical Islam's desired OWG CALIPHATE = GLOBAL ISLAMIST-JIHADISTS STATE WILL BE NUKULAAR [NucWeaponized = Nukes-WMDS]]AT BIRTH.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2011-06-21 19:10  

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