美国总统奥巴马宣布开始结束美国在阿富汗的十年战争。他下令在2012年年底前撤回3万3000名美军。奥巴马在星期三的白宫讲话中对美国民众说，“战争的浪潮正在消退”。他说，首批一万名驻阿美军将在今年底前撤离。在阿富汗部队接管国家的同时，美军将继续“稳步”撤出。2009年12月宣布增派的其余部队将在明年返回美国。
美国目前在阿富汗的驻军大约有10万人。阿富汗战争在美国民众中越来越不得人心。过去10年中，美国在阿富汗和伊拉克战争上花费了一万亿美元。奥巴马承认，现在是把重点放在“国内国家建设”的时候了。奥巴马总统说，移交工作将在2014年前完成，届时阿富汗人将负责他们自己的安全事务。尽管一些军事指挥官呼吁更加缓慢地撤军，奥巴马星期三宣布的决定被视为比较激进的撤军计划。不过，美国国防部长盖茨说，他支持总统的决定。
奥巴马在13分钟的讲话中说，基地组织目前所受的压力比9/11恐怖袭击以来任何时候都大，他们正在“走向失败”。美国特种部队5月2日击毙了基地组织领导人本·拉登。奥巴马说，美军在阿富汗打击了塔利班，夺取了这个激进组织的一些据点。奥巴马承认，阿富汗战争只有在某种政治解决方案下才能结束。他强调，美国支持阿富汗领导的与部分塔利班成员和解的谈判。这些塔利班成员表示愿意脱离基地组织、放弃暴力并遵守阿富汗宪法。塔利班说，奥巴马的撤军计划“只是一个象征性的步骤”，不会满足“厌战的国际社会和阿富汗民众”。
U.S. President Barack Obama has announced the beginning of the end of the country’s 10-year war in Afghanistan, ordering the withdrawal of 33,000 American troops by the end of 2012.In a White House address Wednesday, President Obama told the American people “the tide of war is receding.” He said the first 10,000 American troops will pull out by the end of this year.The remaining troops from the surge announced in December of 2009 will come home next year, with U.S. forces continuing their withdrawal at a “steady pace” as Afghan forces take the lead.
Some 100,000 American troops are serving in Afghanistan.The Afghan war has become increasingly unpopular with the American public. With a trillion dollars spent on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in the last decade, President Obama acknowledged it was time to focus on “nation-building at home.”The president said that by 2014, the process of transition in Afghanistan will be complete, with Afghans taking responsibility for their own security.His announcement Wednesday on troop levels is seen as more aggressive than a slower drawdown called for by some military commanders. Still, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he supported the president’s decision.
In his 13-minute speech, President Obama noted that al-Qaida is under more pressure than at any time since the September 11 terrorist attacks and is on a “path to defeat.” U.S. special forces killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2.In Afghanistan, the president said U.S. forces have inflicted losses on the Taliban and taken a number of the insurgent group’s strongholds.Mr. Obama acknowledged that the war in Afghanistan can not end without some kind of political settlement. He expressed support for Afghan-led reconciliation talks with members of the Taliban who are willing to break from al-Qaida, abandon violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution.The Taliban called Mr. Obama’s troop withdrawal plan “only a symbolic step” that will not satisfy “the war-weary international community or the American people.”