Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Afghanistan

U.S. To Keep 20,000 Troops In Afghanistan

A U.S. helicopter operating in Afghanistan (file photo) (AFP)

June 5, 2006 -- The U.S. ambassador to Kabul says about 20,000 American troops will remain in Afghanistan after handing control of the country's southwest to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in the coming weeks.

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June 05, 2006

That's down from about 23,000 U.S. troops there now.

But Ambassador Ronald Neumann says the United States will remain involved in the south in a variety of combat support roles.

The comment came one day after ISAF commander General David Richards said NATO will be sending as many as 6,000 troops to southern Afghanistan -- twice the current number -- as the alliance prepares to expand its mission there.

The NATO-led ISAF also plans to expand into eastern Afghanistan later this year.

(AFP)

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