AlHijjah 14, 1432, Nov 10, 2011, SPA -- German officials Thursday unveiled a draft timetable to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, starting with a drawdown of nearly one-tenth of the force early in 2012. The timetable was presented to the leaders of the government and opposition parties in parliament by Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere, according to dpa. It proposes a drawdown of 450 posts early in 2012, with another 500 posts being gradually scrapped over the following 12 months. The force, which has a size limit set by parliament, now numbers about 5,350. After the 12-month period of withdrawal, it would number 4,400. Officials said the cabinet would draft next month a request to parliament to authorize new troop levels in January in line with the timetable.
