10,000 U.S. troops withdrawn from Afghanistan

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta presents a Purple Heart medal to Sgt. 1st Class Miguel Ortiz-Mercado during his visit to the 172nd Infantry Brigade Task Force Blackhawks at a forward operating base in Sharana, Afghanistan, Dec. 14, 2011. / AP Photo

WASHINGTON - U.S. military officials say that President Barack Obama's order to withdraw 10,000 American troops from Afghanistan this year has been accomplished, a little more than a week before the year-end deadline.

The pullout is the first step in the U.S. military's plan to wind down the war, hand over security to Afghan forces and end the combat role for international troops by the end of 2014.

It also gives the Obama administration a second war-related accomplishment to tout this month — coming just a week after U.S. officials marked the end of the war in Iraq and the last convoy of American soldiers rumbled out of that country into Kuwait.

Officials say there are now 91,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan — down from the peak of 101,000 in June.

[worldcitizen1]

Does anyone actually believe more US military and Afghan deaths will make a difference in the final outcome of Afghanistan? Osama is gone. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. If only congress was as woried about the 'average' US citizen, things would be MUCH better and safer at home.

[ky1946]

"A little more than a week before the deadline"
Big whoop. How is this a feather in Obamas hat, 'another accomplishment' when it was already scheduled.
B.S. from the greatest bser ever.

[worldcitizen1]

You forgot GeorgeII, who convinced the US people that Iraq was a threat to them! MAJOR B.S.!

[4july]

worldcitizen1, I do seem to remember that. I was 16 at the time and now I'm a 26 year old Marine. Let's just say that not seeing eye to eye with the Bush regime while in Texas became a little difficult to say the least....

It was a long worthless decade thanks to that dickhole.