Obama To Announce Return Of Troops From Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (WWJ/AP) - UPDATE - 8:30 PM -(CLICK HERE)
President Barack Obama is expected to lay out his plan for the start of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan when he addresses the nation Wednesday night. The President will likely call for a phased pullout, sending 5,000 U.S. troops home this summer and another 5,000 by the winter or spring 2012.
WWJ Newsradio 950 spoke with Lynn, of Oakland County, has one son who just returned from Afghanistan and another who will be going there next year.
"I get a very brief reprieve from worrying with one just back and I have the six month break and then I'll go back to daily prayers for the other," she said, adding that she doesn't really favor speeches in advance of military operations.
Michigan Senator Carl Levin said he hopes the President sends a message to the Afghan government.
"The message has to go to be, to the Afghan government, that they and their government need to take personal responsibility for the security of Afghanistan and that's why it's important that the president that this be a significant reduction, a statement he made a few months ago," said Levin.
Levin said he believes the Afghan forces are ready to take over the security of their country.
Levin said the Taliban will welcome the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
"I'll tell you that the nightmare for the Taliban is not our presence. The nightmare for the Taliban is going up against the Afghan army because the Afghan army is well-liked, well-respected by the public," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
