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Posted: 1:33 a.m. Wednesday, June 22, 2011
By Jamie Dupree
President Obama addresses the nation from the White House tonight to lay out his plans for troop withdrawals from Afghanistan, a speech that could draw competing reviews inside both political parties.
On the Democratic side, there are plenty of liberals who want nothing less than a full withdrawal from Afghanistan - but that's not going to happen tonight.
"I sincerely hope President Obama will see the value of pursuing a new way forward in Afghanistan and bring out troops home," Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) said Monday.
"I'm disappointed by initial reports of Obama's new Afghanistan policy," said Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT). "Not enough to withdraw just 30K," Murphy tweeted on Tuesday.
While liberal Democrats want larger troop reductions, over on the GOP side, there are Republicans who argue any withdrawal right now could endanger the gains already made in Afghanistan.
"I support Secretary Gates' admonition that the drawdown should be modest," Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told me off the Senate floor when I asked about how many troops could be withdrawn safely.
"The risk of too many is losing," McCain added.
While the White House would not publicly confirm the President's plans, reports seemed to indicate that he would basically bring home some - or may be all of the extra troops that were part of the 2010 military surge in Afghanistan.
Or, the President might avoid numbers altogether, and instead focus on a date for their withdrawal.
That surge was comprised of 30,000 troops, bringing the American force to 100,000 overall.
So, take those troops out, and the force levels would return to the number deployed at the end of the Bush Administration.
We'll see what the President has to say at 8pm EDT tonight.
Jamie Dupree is the Radio News Director of the Washington Bureau of the Cox Media Group and writes the Washington Insider blog.
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