US will pull back its forces from Afghanistan in 2013, says Leon Panetta

US will pull back its forces from Afghanistan in 2013, says Leon Panetta

Defence Secretary Leon Panetta explained US Administration’s most clear depiction by expressing that USA would pull back its forces out of Afghanistan by the end of next year.

He clarified that US and its alliances intend to retreat from Afghanistan in the end of 2013 and will start a counselling role with Afghan forces during 2014.

Panetta’s comments to media officials in Brussels portrayed that how military combat against Afghan Taliban will turn into a support role, giving full authority to Afghans.

It is expected that this plan would abridge the differences between France and remaining Nato Partners of the US regarding the final stage of military combat in Afghanistan.

Previously, the Nato forces sanctioned a plan to remain in Afghanistan until the end of 2014. Nevertheless, the plan turned doubtful, when the President Nicolas Sarkozy took President Hamid Karzai in agreement and proposed that Nato end its mission Afghanistan
in 2013.

According to an article by AP, Panetta said, “Hopefully by the mid to latter part of 2013 we’ll be able to make a transition from a combat role to a training, advise and assist role.”

He further said, “doesn’t mean we’re not going to be combat-ready,” but emphasised that USA and its allies will not be in “the formal combat role we’re in now”.

“One of the things we’ll be discussing (in Brussels) is what the size of that (Afghan) force should be, but a lot of that will be dependent on the funds that are going to be put on the table in order to sustain that force,” he added.

“That’s one of the things, frankly, I’m going to be pushing at this (meeting),” Panetta said.

He also said it has not been decided that how many troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan, but it is for sure that only a small number of troops will be kept their to train, assist and advise Afghan forces.

On the condition of anonymity, a high-ranked defence official told that US believes that a smaller force will be enough to control Afghanistan. He said that Nato aims at building a force of 352,000 Afghan soldiers and police.

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Posted by Mursil Mehmood Butt on Feb 2 2012. Filed under Latest News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry