Obama expected to announce major to Afghan

Obama expected to announce major Afghan drawdown

U.S. troops examine confiscated weapons and ammunition

during a raid in Sabari, in eastern Afghanistan, on Sunday.

The insurgency is still strong in that region.

Pentagon and other administration officials say about 10,000 troops will probably come home this year, a bigger number than Gen. David Petraeus wanted.

          Pentagon and other administration officials say is expected to bring home about 10,000 personnel by the end of the year that president Obama plans to announce a troop reduction in Afghanistan.

          In a speech to be delivered of media, the president is expected to declare that successes in disrupting Al Qaeda's ability to stage attacks against the United States allow him to begin reducing troop levels, said the officials, who cautioned that Obama was still "finalizing" his decision.

          In 2009 the president coupled his decision to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan with a pledge to begin removing some of those forces this summer. U.S. officials and outside experts familiar with recent deliberations said Obama was leaning toward withdrawing all the additional troops by the end of 2012 or early 2013. That would leave close to 70,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

          But the killing of Osama bin Laden last month in Pakistan, budget pressures and the urging of some White House aides to make faster reductions have pushed Obama toward a steeper reduction, said officials familiar with the internal debate.

          Obama is planning to give leeway to military commanders about the pacing of the withdrawals and the types of forces to be pulled out, officials said.

          Those officials contend that the Taliban will agree to a deal only if the U.S. military continues to put pressure on the militants.

          The schedule also would leave a relatively large U.S. military footprint in place until after next November's presidential election, an important consideration for Obama, who promised in his initial run for the presidency to win the war in Afghanistan.

 
          A spokesman for Petraeus declined to comment. The general has been nominated by Obama to head the CIA and will be replaced as the top general in Afghanistan by Marine Lt. Gen. John R. Allen.