Afghanistan: quand les Américains quitteront-ils?

Obama et le général en charge des opérations partagent-ils la même opinion? La présence américaine pourrait très bien se prolonger... ""No one has conveyed to me that at the end of September I'm going to get a number" for more withdrawals through 2013, Allen said in an interview here Tuesday. He said the president's policy, as he understands it, is for a "strategy-based drawdown" that's driven by the situation on the ground, rather than a preordained timeline. Yes, but that's precisely what the debate is about. According to Pentagon officials, Allen favors keeping most of the 68,000 in place until late 2013, so that the U.S. has two "fighting seasons" to bolster Afghan troops before giving them full responsibility in 2014. But Vice President Joe Biden and some other administration officials want a commitment to steady, sustained withdrawals through next year's election campaign. Allen told me that "there could be a quicker drawdown" if military conditions allow but that there is no "glide path." Some in the White House would disagree. Does this sound familiar? It mirrors the wrangle that surrounded Obama's December 2009 decision to send more troops but start withdrawing them in July 2011 -- and the debate this year about how quickly the 30,000 should come home. Obama could make it easy if he just left the decision to his commander. But for Obama on Afghanistan, nothing is easy. Behind the issue of troop withdrawals are some interesting but little noticed changes Allen has made in Afghanistan strategy since he became commander in July, taking over from Gen. David Petraeus. Basically, Allen wants to accelerate transfer of responsibility to Afghan troops in some key regions -- preferring to take these risks sooner, when the U.S. has more troops available for backup, rather than later." La suite: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/12/22/how_quick_to_the_exits_in_afghanistan_112496.html