From Afghanistan
Obama Will Withdraw Most Soldiers From Iraq By September
President Obama ran on a platform which integrated the withdrawal of military from Iraq. After he was elected, he announced a phased plan for taking United States of America soldiers out of Iraq. Soon a plan was put together, and the White House has kept it on schedule. By the end of August, only 50,000 American soldiers will remain in Iraq. It is projected that all American forces could have left Iraq by the end 2011.
Iraq to pass back to Iraqis
According to The Guardian, the President announced that military authority could be handed over to Iraqi authorities by the end of August. President Obama just lately gave a speech at the Disabled Americans Veterans conference in Atlanta, GA. He highlighted that he had promised a withdrawal in his campaign platform. The President also pinpointed that 90,000 troops have already been withdrawn from Iraq since he took office. It is projected that on August 31, full military authority could be given to Iraqi forces, and 50,000 American soldiers will remain in an advisory role. American combat operations will effectively cease at that time.
Focus to shift to Afghanistan
The war in Iraq can be dissipating, but Afghanistan continues to be a hotspot. Obama swore he won’t stand for the Taliban or Al Qaeda returning to power, according to CNN. There has been scandal and outrage over the war in Afghanistan lately. The 90,000 pages of documents released by Wikileaks and the Rolling Stone Stanley McChrystal interview have been subjects of great contention.
Beginning of the end or end of the beginning
The timetable for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq is carrying on as planned. The conflict in Afghanistan is far from over. Some think that the war in Afghanistan cannot result in a victory for the US, although more military are in Afghanistan than Iraq. There is still no real end in sight for Afghanistan.
Additional reading
guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/02/barack-obama-us-iraq-combat
cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/08/02/obama.iraq.drawdown/index.html?hpt=T1
9/11: The view from Afghanistan