The Obama administration is likely to remove a small number of US soldiers in July, the date selected by the president for the beginning of the American military drawdown. But it will be only the beginning of an extended, gradual process of American military reduction, one that looks like it will take four years – and quite possibly longer.
在美国开始撤军的同时，阿富汗的进度则更加缓慢。奥巴马政府希望在2011年7月（这是总统选定的撤军起始日期）撤出第一批美军。但这仅仅是美国军事力量的削减范围逐步扩大的开端，整个过程大概会持续4年——并很可能拖得更长。