Final answer:
President Obama did not immediately remove troops from Afghanistan and Iraq due to ongoing security concerns, the challenges of maintaining regional stability, the risk of instability, and the complex military situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Barack Obama did not immediately remove troops from Afghanistan and Iraq due to a complex set of circumstances and challenges that can be understood within the broader context of U.S. foreign policy and military strategy following the 9/11 attacks. In Afghanistan, the U.S. Armed Forces had been gradually increasing its troop level since 2002, with a peak of approximately 100,000 by 2010, and they were scheduled to begin leaving between mid-2011 to the end of 2014. Concerns about the Taliban insurgency, the role of Pakistan, the drug trade, and the risk of Afghanistan degenerating into a failed state after the withdrawal were significant factors that influenced the pace of the withdrawal process.
In Iraq, President Obama announced an 18-month withdrawal window for combat forces in 2009, with around 50,000 troops planned to remain to advise and train Iraqi security forces, which suggests that immediate withdrawal was not feasible due to concerns about the security situation and the capability of Iraqi forces to maintain stability. The complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq was announced in October 2011 and completed by the end of that year. However, the presence of insurgents and the struggle to sustain stable political conditions continued to make the situation in Iraq challenging.