British Army Head Aims for Afghanistan Pullout in 5 Years

[tekisui]

Source: The International News

LONDON: The war in Afghanistan will die down next year and British troops could be withdrawn within five years, the head of the British army said in a newspaper interview Saturday.

General Sir David Richards told media that coalition forces had reached a "turning point" in the battle against the Taliban, thanks to a major allied offensive on an insurgent-held area of southern Afghanistan.

He said the current 10,000-strong British force could be reduced as early as next year, with the majority to be pulled out within the next five years.

"We expect the military conflict to trail off in 2011. The combat role will start to decline in 2011, but we will remain militarily engaged in training and support roles for another five years, and we will remain in a support role for many years to come," he told the newspaper.

more: http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=99582

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We all know, of course, that the UK will not be there longer than the US. Now we know, the best case scenario is forces out by 2015. 14 years we will have been there by then. They might as well tell us we are NEVER leaving.

[aquart]

1. Let's go home tomorrow.

Nothing like the element of surprise.

[HeresyLives]

2. Aiming for it for about ten years now in fact.