Kabul - No longer forces the United States (U.S.) will stop its combat mission in Afghanistan. The U.S. government plans to end its combat mission in Afghanistan as early as mid-2013 to come and switch to a training mission. "Hopefully in the mid to late 2013, we will be able to make the transition from a combat role to a role of combat training, advisory and assistance," said U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, as reported by AFP on Thursday (02/02/2012).
This is a strong signal that the White House wants to end a war that has been passed by the previous government. Earlier, U.S. forces have also been withdrawn from Iraq in December 2011 then.
Panetta said Washington wants to see all the NATO allies in Afghanistan, including the French honor of NATO timeline.
"We went in there together and we'll get out of there together. But we must do so on the basis of alliances and a strong commitment," said Panetta.
Panetta said 2013 will be an important year for the final transfer to Afghan security forces.
Currently, almost 90 thousand U.S. soldiers still in Afghanistan. Panetta is said, there has been no decision regarding the number of U.S. troops will be deployed to a training mission in Afghanistan in 2013. But at the end of September, U.S. troop levels would be reduced to 68 thousand personnel.