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"The Obama administration is discussing whether to reduce American forces in Afghanistan by at least an additional 20,000 troops by 2013, reflecting a growing belief within the White House that the mission there has now reached the point of diminishing returns. "

"Now comes a decidedly contrary point of view. It's from Douglas A. Wissing, author of the just-published Funding the Enemy: How U.S. Taxpayers Bankroll the Taliban. After spending time with U.S. troops in Afghanistan, he's come to the conclusion that the U.S.-led effort there is flagging, if not already doomed. "

"A series of contradictory statements about a possible earlier start to the (mainly US) foreign troop drawdown and a quicker handover of security responsibility to Afghan forces, as well as debate over the likely form of NATO's post-ISAF mission in Afghanistan has caused confusion in the media(1) and wider public sphere recently."

"NATO forces are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but the withdrawal poses a massive logistical challenge. The US and its allies are dependent on air hubs in Russia and authoritarian Central Asian republics to transport its troops and equipment home -- and getting those countries to play along is not always easy."

"The resolution that the United States Conference of Mayors passed on Monday calling on President Obama and Congress to "speed up the ending" of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was not nearly as strong as the one it passed 40 years ago, calling on President Richard M. Nixon to withdraw all American troops from Vietnam within six months. "

"The remains of four Indiana National Guard soldiers killed in Afghanistan last week arrived back in the United States on Sunday, met by their families and a delegation of high-ranking military officials."

"U.S. Army counterinsurgency activities in and around Khost, Afghanistan. "

RE: the Obama speech: "the policy debate will most likely only scratch the surface of the issues in play and what's at stake for America in Afghanistan and the broader region."