In a televised address from Afghanistan, President Obama vowed to continue drawing down U.S. Troop levels, committing to pull 23,000 out by the end of the summer and sticking to a 2014 deadline to turn security fully over to the Afghan government.
Obama earlier thanked U.S. Troops for their service and signed an agreement on cooperating with Afghanistan. His surprise trip to Afghanistan comes on the first anniversary of the U.S. Raid that killed Osama bin Laden in neighboring Pakistan. Ref. CNN
About 25,000 Troops May Be Needed In Afghanistan After 2014, Planners Say:
American military officials say that the planning figure is 25,000 troops, commanded by a three-star general. They would include trainers as well as thousands of Green Berets and other special operations troops who would work with Afghans on counter-terror missions. Ref. Source 1
A roadside bomb killed three U.S. Soldiers in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, a Western official said.
The blast hit the soldiers' vehicle about 10 km (6 miles) south of an outpost in Paktia province, near the Pakistani border, the official said.
More than 1,900 Americans and another 1,000-plus allied troops have died in the 10-year-old conflict to date. Ref. CNN
Majority of Americans reject new US-Afghan security pact: poll:
By a margin of 63 percent disapproval to 33 percent approval, respondents rejected a description of the deal that will include a US troop presence and billions of dollars in monetary support for Afghan forces in the decade after 2014 Ref. Source 1