The president is expected to announce his intention to withdraw 33,000 U.S. troops sent to Afghanistan as part of a surge in U.S. forces by the end of 2012, with at least 5,000 personnel due to leave by the end of this year, according to administration officials. Obama, who has yet to determine the precise pace of withdrawal, will make the announcement Wed. night at 8 in a televised address from the White House.
Obama to announce Afghan plans Wednesday - The Washington Post
President Obama is in the final phase of determining how many U.S. troops he will withdraw from Afghanistan next month and plans to announce his decision Wednesday, administration officials said.
![“[H]e [Mitt Romney] said, only the Afghanis can decide their political future. That’s a concept, I think, everyone would agree with. The problem is, the people are not called Afghanis. They’re called Afghans. So if you’re trying to talk about what the foreign policy should be for a foreign nation… you should know what the people are called.” - Richard Engel, Meet the Press - Watch](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ln3tc0JDEJ1qz80pso1_1280.jpg)
“[H]e [Mitt Romney] said, only the Afghanis can decide their political future. That’s a concept, I think, everyone would agree with. The problem is, the people are not called Afghanis. They’re called Afghans. So if you’re trying to talk about what the foreign policy should be for a foreign nation… you should know what the people are called.” - Richard Engel, Meet the Press - Watch
Everyone so far is denying. Taliban say: He is inside Afghanistan and he is busy directing military operations with his commanders
@HeidiVogt AP correspondent in Kabul, Afghanistan on status of Mullah Omar
“One very high level source said still trying to confirm. If that source doesn’t know yet, it’s simply not known yet.”
Michael Yon on status of Mullah Omar
UPDATE: Now: Reuters - Afghan Taliban says reports their leader Mullah Omar has been killed are inaccurate. - @ProducerMatthew
“I am making queries. I can’t confirm it [Mullah Omar killed].”
Chinese State media CLAIMS they confirmed with a 2nd source that Mullah Mohammad Omar was killed
“More than 400 inmates — many of them Taliban insurgents — escaped from the main prison in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar overnight through a tunnel, an official said Monday.”
Britney Spears’ “Hold it Against Me” performed by US Marines somewhere deep in the heart of Afghanistan.
whoa
As’ad AbuKhalil with some prophetic advice on the nascent war in Afghanistan for Bill Maher, as ignorant as always, and his guests. In addition, listen to what they have to say about Al Jazeera as well. Try not to rage quit.
“The desecration of any holy text, including the Koran, is an act of extreme intolerance and bigotry.”
President Obama
But Obama says Koran burning doesn’t justifiy the acts of violence that led to murderous attack on UN compound Friday in Afghanistan. - @markknoller
The Kill Team - Rolling Stone
How U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan murdered innocent civilians and mutilated their corpses – and how their officers failed to stop them. Plus: An exclusive look at the war crime photos censored by the Pentagon
