Obama to signal 10,000-strong withdrawal from Afghanistan

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama is expected to withdraw roughly 10,000 troops from Afghanistan this year, with about 5,000 forces leaving this summer and another 5,000 coming home by the end of the year, a senior American defence official said yesterday.

Obama could also announce a timetable for recalling the 20,000 other troops he ordered to Afghanistan as part of his December 2009 decision to send reinforcements to reverse the Taliban’s battlefield momentum.

Obama spokesman Jay Carney said the president had finalised his decision on the withdrawal plan and would address the nation today. He said the president informed his national security team of his plans during a White House meeting yesterday.