Washington -- President Barack Obama announced in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night that some 34,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan will have returned home by this time next year.
The move will reduce the number of U.S. forces in the country by more than half. There are now about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
A Washington Post poll on
Tuesday showed that 80% of registered voters support the president's
policy to end the war in Afghanistan.
In January, Obama met
with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Washington, where they agreed to
accelerate the military transition in Afghanistan.
Afghan forces will take
the lead in combat missions throughout the country starting in the
spring, instead of mid-year, as was previously expected.
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Afghan forces are ready
Zahir Azimi, a spokesman
for the Afghan Defense Ministry, said National Army forces are
"completely ready" to take over the country's security responsibilities.
"We welcome the
announcement of the withdrawal ... and we (will) always remember their
efforts and sacrifice," he said. "We are very happy that these soldiers
are returning home to their families."
The Taliban also
welcomed the news, saying Western governments "must salvage themselves
from the protracted and pointless war in Afghanistan."
But as expected, the militants continued their call for a complete withdrawal of outside forces.
"The Afghans should be
granted control, choice of government and sovereignty of their country,"
the Taliban statement said. "If not such then our sacred Jihad will
intensify and forge ahead successfully even if one foreign soldier is
present in our country ..."
Some U.S. forces will remain
U.S. Marines from Kilo Company of the 3rd Battalion 8th Marines
Regiment conduct a patrol in Garmser, Helmand Province on June 27, 2012.
The 130,000 NATO troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014
and there are fears that their exit will lead to a reduction in rights
and freedoms in the war-torn country. AFP PHOTO / ADEK BERRY (Photo
credit should read ADEK BERRY/AFP/GettyImages)
The White House has been
considering a range of troop levels -- from up to 15,000 to none -- to
remain in Afghanistan once the combat mission officially ends at the end
of 2014.
READ: Questions facing Obama about Afghanistan
Those options were submitted by Gen. John Allen,
who until recently was the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Allen's
final days in that job were marred by an investigation linked to the sex
scandal that prompted the resignation of David Petraeus as CIA
director.
Allen was cleared of
allegations that he wrote potentially inappropriate e-mails to a woman
involved in the scandal. He is now the nominee to become the top NATO
commander and was replaced in Afghanistan this week by Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford.
More troop reductions ahead
A senior administration
official told CNN on Tuesday that in addition to withdrawing 34,000 U.S.
troops by next February, more reductions will continue through the end
of 2014 as Afghans take full responsibility for their security.
The United States and
its partners in the war in Afghanistan have "struck devastating blows
against al Qaeda, and Afghan forces continue to grow stronger with
352,000 now in training or on duty," the official said.
"By the end of 2014, we
will responsibly bring our war in Afghanistan to a close," the official
said, adding that Obama made his decision "based on the recommendations
of the military and his national security team," consultations with
Karzai and "international coalition partners."
A key factor for meeting
Obama's plan is the fighting season in Afghanistan, which runs from
spring to fall, depending on weather conditions, officials said.
"Commanders will have
discretion on pace of this drawdown which will allow them to maintain
the force they need through the fighting season," according to one of
those officials.
U.S. withdrawal is 'tough love' for disbelieving Afghans
Afghans in lead but U.S. still there
Also on Tuesday, another
U.S. official told CNN that the U.S. and NATO alliance will announce
that by March, Afghan troops will lead all security in Afghanistan.
That announcement was expected to be made this summer but will now be made within days, the source said.
Afghan forces are leading nearly 90% of operations across Afghanistan.
With Afghan units in the
lead, U.S. troops will still be directly involved in combat for months,
the official said. American special forces also will remain in far
flung outposts partnering with Afghan units.
Opinion: Abandon Afghanistan? A dumb idea
A new general in charge
Dunford will oversee the final two years of the war and the withdrawal of nearly all troops.
At a change-of-command ceremony in Kabul on Sunday, Dunford remarked on the job ahead.
"Today is not about change, it's about continuity," he said, alongside Allen and other senior NATO and Afghan officials.
"I'll endeavor to
continue the momentum of the campaign and support the people of
Afghanistan as they seize the opportunity for a brighter future."
Dunford has a reputation
among Marines as a thoughtful, calm leader, with more than 22 months
under his belt of commanding troops in Iraq.
These changes come amid
debate about impending budget cuts that some say would have grave
consequences for the military unless Congress acts to avert them by the
start of next month.
Sequestration
is a series of automatic, across-the-board cuts to government agencies,
totaling $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The cuts would be split 50-50
between defense and domestic discretionary spending.
More than $500 billion
would be cut from the Defense Department and other national security
agencies, with the rest coming from domestic programs, like national
parks, federal courts, the FBI, food inspections and housing aid.
Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has been a harsh critic of the cuts.
"For those of you who
have ever seen 'Blazing Saddles,'" he said in a recent speech at
Georgetown University, there "is the scene of the sheriff putting the
gun to his head in order to establish law and order. That is
sequestration."
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