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Updated: 1:46 PM Dec 22, 2011
10,000 American troops pulled out of Afghanistan
The drawdown is the first step in the U.S. military's plan to wind down the war, transition security to Afghan forces and end the combat role for international troops by the end of 2014.
Posted: 1:46 PM Dec 22, 2011Reporter: The Associated Press |
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Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. military officials say that President Barack Obama's order to withdraw 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan this year has been accomplished, a little more than a week before the year-end deadline.
The drawdown is the first step in the U.S. military's plan to wind down the war, transition security to Afghan forces and end the combat role for international troops by the end of 2014.
It also gives the Obama administration a second war-related accomplishment to tout this month -- coming just a week after U.S. officials marked the end of the war in Iraq and the last convoy of American soldiers rumbled out of that country into Kuwait.
Officials say there are now 91,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan -- down from the peak of 101,000 in June.
(Copyright 2011, The Associated Press)
