Mullen: No Big Change in US Troop Levels in Afghanistan
VOA News
13 December 2010
The top U.S. military officer says he does not foresee large changes in the number of troops currently stationed in Afghanistan.
The Associated Press reports Admiral Mike Mullen says there will not be any significant increases or decreases beyond the current level of roughly 100,000.
Mullen spoke in Iraq Monday where he met with U.S. troops and Iraqi officials.
U.S. President Barack Obama is set to release an assessment of his administration's Afghan strategy this week. The strategy announced last year led to an increase in the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The move was aimed at reversing the growing Taliban insurgency in the country.
Mr. Obama plans to begin withdrawing American forces in July, but NATO spokesman Brigadier General Boltz dismissed reports that NATO will abandon Afghanistan. He says although the goal is to turn over security to Afghan forces by the end of 2014, that will depend on conditions on the ground.
Meanwhile Monday, Afghan and coalition forces arrested several suspects in connection with Sunday's deadly attack in southern Afghanistan that killed six American and two Afghan soldiers.
Afghan officials say a suicide bomber detonated a van packed with explosives near the entrance of a new outpost operated by Afghan and coalition forces in southern Kandahar province.
Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the bombing that also wounded several U.S. soldiers.
In other news, U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, remains in critical condition after undergoing another surgery to repair a torn artery in his heart.
Doctors operated on Holbrooke on Saturday to fix a tear in his aorta, the large artery that moves blood from the heart to the rest of the body. On Sunday, he underwent a second procedure to improve his circulation.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
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