When President Obama makes a formal announcement regarding his administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal plan on Wednesday, many expect him to reveal that a drawdown of 10,000 U.S. troops will be made by the end of 2011.
Speculation surrounding the plan ranges from an immediate withdrawal of 5,000 troops to a gradual drawdown of 30,000 by the end of next year, when Obama will seek re-election, according to The New York Times.
White House press secretary Jay Carney suggested Monday that the White House is continuing to review all options before finalizing their decision.
“In Afghanistan, we’re in the process of a transition where we are starting to give more and more responsibility to Afghans for their own security,” President Obama told fundraisers during an event held Monday night, USA Today reports.
There are conflicting political pressures surrounding Obama’s withdrawal plan, as various political lawmakers have expressed differing opinions about how many troops should be brought home.
Republicans would likely refuse to endorse a proposal involving a drawdown that concludes just prior to the 2012 presidential election.
President Obama is scheduled to begin promoting the withdrawal plan Thursday in Upstate New York, where he will make an appearance at Fort Drum while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Politico confirms.
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