US discusses faster security handover to Afghans: report
November 4th, 2011 - 7:26 am ICT by IANSWashington, Nov 4 (IANS) The Obama administration is discussing an accelerated shift of the military’s mission in Afghanistan to an advisory role, media reported Thursday.
The approach has been discussed in recent high-level meetings involving top defence and administration officials, the Wall Street Journal said, but no decisions have been made.
Agreement on a formal shift to an advisory role could come as early as a NATO meeting in May, it said.
The move would have broad implications for the US strategy in Afghanistan and could scale back US combat duties well ahead of the original schedule, said the report.
The Obama administration began to pull out troops from the Central Asian country this summer. Under the president’s withdrawal plan, about 10,000 US troops will leave Afghanistan by the end of this year and another 23,000 will return home by September 2012.
The ultimate goal is to transfer lead security responsibility to the Afghan forces by 2014.
- US to end Afghan combat operations in 2013 - Feb 03, 2012
- NATO won't pay $5,000 per truck to Pakistan: Panetta - May 20, 2012
- Obama makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan - May 02, 2012
- NATO to remain in Afghanistan after 2014 - Jan 26, 2011
- Afghanistan seeks early security handover: Karzai - Mar 16, 2012
- Americans back faster Afghan withdrawal: Poll - Mar 15, 2012
- Turkish military helicopter crashes in Kabul, killing 16 - Mar 18, 2012
- Obama announces US troop pullout from Afghanistan - Jun 23, 2011
- Spain to begin troop withdrawals from Afghanistan in 2012 - Jun 24, 2011
- Zardari arrives in Chicago for NATO summit - May 20, 2012
- Zardari arrives in Chicago for NATO summit (Lead) - May 20, 2012
- Roadside bomb kills NATO soldier in southern Afghanistan - Mar 27, 2012
- Britain considers early withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan - Dec 10, 2011
- Afghan situation cause for alarm, concern: UN chief - Apr 27, 2012
- Obama signs cooperation pact with Afghanistan (Lead) - May 02, 2012
Tags: administration officials, advisory role, afghanistan, afghans, central asian country, decisions, handover, level meetings, nato, security responsibility, wall street, wall street journal, withdrawal plan