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July 12, 2013

Top U.S. Diplomat Says Full Withdrawal from Afghanistan Unlikely 
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The leading U.S. diplomat on Afghanistan has dismissed the possibility
the United States might withdraw all troops from Afghanistan at the end
of the combat mission next year. The remarks by James Dobbins came after
reports President Obama is seriously considering a total withdrawal
following tensions with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over peace talks
with the Taliban. Dobbins spoke before a Senate committee Thursday.

James Dobbins: "Without an agreement on our presence in Afghanistan, we
would not remain. But we do not believe that that's the likely outcome
of these negotiations. Unlike Iraq, to which comparisons are often made,
the Afghans actually need us to stay."

 

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