Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said last week it’s “very likely” that combat forces will be among those units that he allows to return home starting this summer. Speaking at a National Journal/Newseum event in Washington, D.C., Petraeus said he is still drawing up options on which troops may withdraw from Afghanistan once the planned drawdown of forces beings in July. The plan probably will call for most of those going home to come from support functions, he noted. A “small group” at ISAF headquarters is developing the plan, he said during the March 18 event.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
