U.S. tries to simplicity confusion about Afghan options - chicagotribune.com

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. forces will cede the guide purpose in combat operations in Afghanistan up coming calendar year, but will keep preventing alongside Afghan troops, Defense Secretary Leon　Panetta stated on Thursday, as the Obama administration struggled to clear up confusion over its Afghan exit approach.

Panetta amazed allies on Wednesday by suggesting the U.S. fight mission in Afghanistan would end in 2013, the initial time Washington had floated such a deadline.

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On Thursday, Panetta emphasized to reporters that U.S. troops in Afghanistan would remain　 battle-prepared　 as the United States winds down its longest war. But he said the troops would largely shift to a educate-and-aid function as Afghan forces just take accountability for security before an stop-2014 deadline for entire Afghan manage.

I want to be distinct: Even as Afghans suppose the protection guide, ISAF (global forces) will continue to have to be totally combat-completely ready and we will interact in combat functions as needed, Chinese Wholesale Jerseys　Panetta explained.

Final decisions on the speed of troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and the hand-over to forces loyal to Afghan President Hamid Karzai are not because of to be built right up until U.S. President Barack Obama and fellow NATO leaders hold a summit in Chicago in May.

But New York Islanders Jerseys Panetta's remarks on Wednesday, built en route to a NATO defense ministers' assembly in Brussels, appeared supposed to start off a debate more than timetables and possibly set the stage for an accelerated transition in Afghanistan.

White House spokesman Jay Carney mentioned that whilst Panetta had not announced a new coverage, it was possible and　 appealing　 to have the transition get area previously.

The president does not imagine that U.S. troops ought to keep in Afghanistan for the sake of remaining. They ought to stay there to fulfill their mission and then he will bring them house,　 Carney stated.

Obama, who withdrew the last of the U.S. troops from Iraq at the finish of 2011, has been ready to scale down the American presence in Afghanistan much more speedily than some of his army commanders preferred.

The United States entered Afghanistan in late 2001 adhering to the September eleven assaults to overthrow its Taliban-led govt, which sheltered Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda organization. Washington offers about 90,000 of the 130,000 overseas troops there.

Although U.S. officers insisted there was no contradiction in the U.S. message, comments by a senior NATO official underscored the possible for confusion.

He (Panetta) mentioned the overcome role will arrive to an finish but he also mentioned combat will keep on. And that's exactly what I'm declaring,　 the NATO official stated.

Panetta, speaking in Brussels, said there was a general consensus among members of NATO's International Stability Aid Force that Afghans need to take the safety guide at some position in 2013, but that ISAF forces would have to continue taking part in overcome functions in some areas as needed.

In between now and the end of 2014, we're prepared to engage in overcome, whether or not we're in the direct or the Afghans are,　 a U.S. defense official explained on situation of anonymity.

NATO officers stressed that although the timelines had not been explicitly spelled out before, provided the 2014 deadline, handing direct stability tasks to Afghan troops would often have had to take place by the center of following 12 months.

'EXACTLY IN LINE' WITH Coverage

CIA Director David Petraeus instructed a congressional hearing that Panetta's remarks had been　 overanalyzed　 and ended up　 specifically in line　 with the coverage started last summer.

If you are going to have it accomplished totally by the stop of 2014, clearly somewhere in 2013 you have had to initiate that in all of the diverse places so that you can full the remaining projects,　 he explained.

If it can negotiate a bilateral troop offer, the United States is expected to preserve a modest-sized military pressure in Afghanistan even beyond the finish of 2014, centered on advising Afghan forces and on focused counterterrorism missions.

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