Saturday, July 16, 2011 – US military on Friday confirmed that About 650 US troops who were deployed in central province of Parwan, northwest of capital Kabul have left Afghanistan on Wednesday, the first US troops gradual drawdown who headed home as the first part of the US withdrawal.
The US has started drawing down troops in Afghanistan based on President Barack Obama’s withdrawal plan to pull out about a third of 100,000 US troops from Afghanistan during the next year.
US military officials in Bargam airbase said, The departed troops will not be replaced by an incoming unit.
The withdrawal plan was announced in June as President Obama faced growing political opposition over the Afghan war.
The draw down plan is believed to be faster than the US military officials had recommended.
While Obama has left the details to the commanders, the first 10,000 US troops are expected to leave Afghanistan by the end of the year.
Lt Col. Wayne Perry, A spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said, about 650 troops who had completed their rotation in Afghanistan left on Wednesday as planned, and would not be replaced
He further added, “As part of the draw down the first US troops have left Afghanistan,”
The Army National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 134th Cavalry Regiment, based in Kabul, and the Army National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, which had been in neighboring Parwan province are the unites that have left Afghanistan.
The first phase of US troops withdrawal comes as the wave of insurgency has risen across Afghanistan and insurgents are still active in most parts of Afghanistan.
Since the beginning of the counterinsurgency combat in the country, The US has lost more than 15,000 troops in Afghanistan.
As the security transition from foreign forces to Afghan security forces is due to start in a few days, where Afghan security forces are to take over security responsibility of seven areas in the first phase of security transition, there are growing concerns that they may not yet be able to ensure security on their own.
A number of US politicians are also anxious regarding President Obama’s decision to pull out troops saying that this could endanger the next major phase of the war in the east of Afghanistan.
