In what may be an indication of a significant drawdown of troops in Afghanistan to come, President Obama yesterday in an interview with Hearst Television said that the United States has accomplished many of its objectives in Afghanistan.
"What I've said is this summer is a summer of transition where we start handing over more responsibility for the security of Afghanistan to the Afghan government... I intend to follow through on that commitment that I made to the American people," he said.
"By us killing Osama bin Laden, getting al Qaeda back on its heels, stabilizing much of the country in Afghanistan so that the taliban can't take it over... it's now time for to recognize that we've accomplished a big chunk of our mission and that it's time for Afghans to take more responsibility," he added.
cbs: How many troops will Obama bring home from Afghanistan in July?
It's a good sign. Let's hope the withdrawal is significant, in the tens of thousands and not just a token withdrawal.
As we enter austerity during high unemployment, at least we can cut the $2 Billion a week we spend in Afghanistan. The loss of life and high financial cost, in light of the fact that "we've accomplished a big chunk of our mission" there, suggests that it is time to bring the troops home.
I'm hopeful, but we will see in July how many come home.