President Barack Obama announced in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night that some 34,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan will have returned home by this time next year.
The move will reduce the number of U.S. forces in the country by more than half. There are now about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
A Washington Post poll on Tuesday showed that 80% of registered voters support the president's policy to end the war in Afghanistan.
In January, Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Washington, where they agreed to accelerate the military transition in Afghanistan.
Afghan forces will take the lead in combat missions throughout the country starting in the spring, instead of mid-year, as was previously expected.
Afghan forces are ready
Zahir Azimi, a spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, said National Army forces are "completely ready" to take over the country's security responsibilities.
"We welcome the announcement of the withdrawal ... and we (will) always remember their efforts and sacrifice," he said. "We are very happy that these soldiers are returning home to their families."
The Taliban also welcomed the news, saying Western governments "must salvage themselves from the protracted and pointless war in Afghanistan."
But as expected, the militants continued their call for a complete withdrawal of outside forces.
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