US troops will leave Iraq, Afghanistan: Obama (Lead)

September 23rd, 2009 McCain: More troops needed in AfghanistanWASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain says more U.S.

August 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said there is a possibility of an increased American military presence in Afghanistan, but warned that such a move would stretch military resources and could lead to a possible Afghan backlash.

August 9th, 2009 GOP senator warns against pulling a 'Rumsfeld'WASHINGTON —A Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee says more troops are needed in Afghanistan and is warning that the U.S. must not 'Rumsfeld' the war.

July 22nd, 2009 Obama says US on schedule to leave Iraq by 2011WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Wednesday that despite continuing violence in Iraq, the U.S. is on schedule to remove all troops by the end of 2011.

June 4th, 2009 Obama: no permanent US presence in AfghanistanCAIRO — President Barack Obama says the United States has no intention of keeping its troops in Afghanistan and America seeks no permanent military bases there. Obama calls it costly and politically difficult to continue the conflict.

May 13th, 2009 Obama seeks to block release of detainee photosWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is seeking to block the immediate release of hundreds of photos showing U.S. personnel allegedly abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.

April 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Seeking another $83.4 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Barack Obama once again highlighted the threat of Al Qaeda and a 'resurgent' Taliban from safe havens along the Afghan-Pakistan border. The situation in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan 'demands urgent attention', Obama said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi submitting the funding request to the US Congress.

March 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, a NATO official and former commander of international forces in Afghanistan, was nominated to be the US' next ambassador to Afghanistan by President Barack Obama Wednesday. Eikenberry is currently deputy chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO)military committee.

February 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barak Obama plans to withdraw majority of the US troops from Iraq by August 2010, officials said. According to the plan, of the 142,000 US troops in Iraq, 30,000-50,000 soldiers would remain in the country till December 2011, while the rest would move out by August 2010, media reports said quoting government officials.

February 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has approved adding some 17,000 US troops to its forces in Afghanistan to fight a resurgent Taliban saying 'the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan demands urgent attention and swift action.' 'The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and Al Qaeda supports the insurgency and threatens America from its safe-haven along the Pakistani border,' Obama said in a statement released by the White House Tuesday. The troops increase 'is necessary to stabilise a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction, and resources it urgently requires,' he said.

February 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama will soon announce his decision on the deployment of more troops in Afghanistan, the White House has said. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, who travelled with the president from Chicago to Washington, told reporters Monday that the government was reviewing the US policy towards Afghanistan and may take a decision soon to send additional troops to the war-torn country.

January 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US military plans to send three additional combat brigades to Afghanistan by mid-summer this year, Defence Secretary Robert Gates told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday. He said there is a possibility of increasing the number of US troops in Afghanistan, though it has not been finalised.

January 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US military is to deploy about 20,000 Marines to Afghanistan in six to eight months, a senior military officer has said. 'The time is right for Marines to leave Iraq,' Marine Commandant James Conway told reporters here, adding that the deployment is a result of troop withdrawal from Iraq.

January 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - On the very first day in office, US President Barack Obama will discuss war issues with his national security aides and senior commanders Wednesday. According to reports, the new commander in chief was summoning Defence Secretary Robert Gates and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen along with other members of his national security council to the White House to discuss a way ahead in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

January 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US president-elect Barack Obama would deal with military withdrawal from Iraq and the domestic financial crisis after his swearing-in, incoming White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Sunday. 'First he's going to meet with his economic team to see where we are on an economic recovery and re-investment plan ...