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| 34,000 U.S. Troops to Exit Afghanistan Within a Year | 34,000 U.S. Troops to Exit Afghanistan Within a Year |
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| WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to announce in his State of Union address on Tuesday night that half of the 66,000 American troops in Afghanistan will be home by this time next year, according to an administration official familiar with the speech. | WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to announce in his State of Union address on Tuesday night that half of the 66,000 American troops in Afghanistan will be home by this time next year, according to an administration official familiar with the speech. |
| The decision by Mr. Obama represents a careful balancing of political interests and military requirements. The announcement enables him to say that slightly more than half of the American force — 34,000 troops — will be out of Afghanistan by next February, keeping on track a plan to hand over security responsibility to Afghan troops by the end of 2014. | The decision by Mr. Obama represents a careful balancing of political interests and military requirements. The announcement enables him to say that slightly more than half of the American force — 34,000 troops — will be out of Afghanistan by next February, keeping on track a plan to hand over security responsibility to Afghan troops by the end of 2014. |
| But the plan also gives the military commanders in Afghanistan the flexibility they have long sought in determining the pace of the reductions. Under the phased withdrawal, according to the official, who asked not to be identified discussing the speech, commanders will have a “robust force” for the next fighting season, which ends in September and October. | |
| The commanders want to hold on to sufficient forces — including troops, airpower and medical evacuation units — to support the Afghan troops during this transition. They also want to try to consolidate military gains before rapidly drawing down American forces. | The commanders want to hold on to sufficient forces — including troops, airpower and medical evacuation units — to support the Afghan troops during this transition. They also want to try to consolidate military gains before rapidly drawing down American forces. |
| At the same time, the official said, the pace of the drawdown will be rapid enough that it will prod Afghan forces to take on greater responsibility for securing the country. The danger of leaving too many American troops for too long, he said, is that the security situation could “go off a cliff” after the United States largely withdraws. | At the same time, the official said, the pace of the drawdown will be rapid enough that it will prod Afghan forces to take on greater responsibility for securing the country. The danger of leaving too many American troops for too long, he said, is that the security situation could “go off a cliff” after the United States largely withdraws. |
| Afghan troops are scheduled to move into a lead role this spring, under an accelerated transition of security responsibility that Mr. Obama announced when President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan visited Washington last month. Mr. Obama planned to call Mr. Karzai later on Tuesday morning to inform him of the planned announcement. | Afghan troops are scheduled to move into a lead role this spring, under an accelerated transition of security responsibility that Mr. Obama announced when President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan visited Washington last month. Mr. Obama planned to call Mr. Karzai later on Tuesday morning to inform him of the planned announcement. |
| The president, an official said, will make no announcement about how many forces the United States should keep in Afghanistan after 2014 when the security mission is entirely the responsibility of the Afghans. Mr. Obama, he said, has not yet made a decision on that. | The president, an official said, will make no announcement about how many forces the United States should keep in Afghanistan after 2014 when the security mission is entirely the responsibility of the Afghans. Mr. Obama, he said, has not yet made a decision on that. |
| White House officials did not provide a detailed timetable for withdrawal this year, saying only that it would be “phased.” | White House officials did not provide a detailed timetable for withdrawal this year, saying only that it would be “phased.” |
| But an American official involved with the planning, who asked not to be identified, said that he expected the number to come down to about 60,000 troops this spring. That force would remain through the fighting season after which there would be a steep drop to about 32,000 by this time next year. | |
| Mr. Obama’s reference to Afghanistan will be one of relatively few nods to national security in the State of the Union address. The official said he would refer briefly to North Korea, which American and South Korean officials said tested a nuclear weapon on earlier on Tuesday. | Mr. Obama’s reference to Afghanistan will be one of relatively few nods to national security in the State of the Union address. The official said he would refer briefly to North Korea, which American and South Korean officials said tested a nuclear weapon on earlier on Tuesday. |