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US military to withdraw military trainers from Pakistan
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May 28, 2011
Original URL: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/US_military_to_withdraw_military_trainers_from_Pakistan



The United States military plans to begin to withdraw military training
troops from Pakistan after the Pakistani government requested the
departure of the troops. 

Pentagon spokesperson David Lapan said that official sources from the
Pakistani capital of Islamabad requested a scaling down of the American
training force, which is estimated to be composed of between 120 and 300
troops, on Wednesday.

"We were recently notified in writing that the government of Pakistan
wished for the US to reduce its footprint in Pakistan. Accordingly, we
have begun those reductions."

The majority of the US presence in question is comprised of Special
Forces troops, who train, prepare and give advice to Pakistani soldiers
as part of a wider effort to counter Islamist fighter and terrorist
groups, such as al-Qaeda. Mr. Lapan did not specify exactly how many
troops would be leaving, though unnamed military sources have said that
the total force will number around 50 after the reduction.

The impending withdrawal of troops highlights the tensions between the
US and Pakistan in the wake of the American raid on bin Laden’s
Abbottabad home, resulting in the death of America's most wanted
terrorist.  Prior to this announcement, concerns within Pakistan have
been raised about whether the attack violated Pakistan's sovereignty,
and some lawmakers have called for a review of Pakistani -- US
relations.

In the days following the raid Pakistan's army chief, General Ashfaq
Kayani, said that any comparable raids in Pakistan in the future would
lead to a re-evaluation of the nation's military and political
collaboration with the US. He also told his commanders of the desire to
have the numbers of American troops in Pakistan be brought down to "the
minimum level."

== Sources == 

* http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2011/05/201152672749467292.html
* http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/26/idINIndia-57295520110526