Context
US President Obama on Wednesday announced a plan to begin US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in a first major step towards bringing to an end the decade-long Afghan War. The president said in a televised speech he would withdraw 10,000 soldiers from Afghanistan by the end of this year, followed by another 23,000 by next summer’s end. Obama also said the US would keep on insisting Pakistan to fulfill its pledges to counter extremist safe havens on its soil. The remarks underscore growing tensions between the two countries following a unilateral US operation that killed Bin Laden. Obama made it clear he would order more raids on any sanctuaries harboring those who want to kill Americans.
