 Obama to announce 34,000-strong Afghan troop cut February 12, 2013 - 18:47 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - President Barack Obama will announce in his State of the Union speech later 34,000 U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan over the next year, U.S. media say, according to BBC News. The move would effectively cut in half the current U.S. troop level in the country from about 66,000. The U.S. will end combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but it is unclear how large of a residual training force will remain behind. Obama could also use his speech to address post-2014 troop levels. Partner news  Top stories An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes. Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander, led Argentina during the bloodiest days of its Dirty War dictatorship.   Partner news |  Latest news Oil prices rise as investors await Fed’s latest views on U.S. economy  Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, rose 21 cents to $105.01 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.Nokia Siemens unveils tools for better mobile video performance The company says its new capabilities can reduce video stalling by 90% while also cutting demand for capacity by 25%.Russia has fair chance to avoid economic recession: PM “Perhaps, this is not very much. But, at the same time, it’s much better than Europe’s figures,” Dmitry Medvedev said.Sir Alex Ferguson named Manager of the Year The 71-year-old, who won 38 trophies in a 26-year reign at Old Trafford, will be succeeded by Everton's David Moyes. |
