WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. forces will begin turning over security to Afghans in July 2011 in a process shaped by progress, not a timetable, Army Gen. David Petraeus said.
"I'm not bowled over by the knowledge that July 2011 is out there," Petraeus said on NBC's "Meet the Press".
"In fact, the president (Barack Obama) has been very clear, Vice President Biden has been very clear as well more recently that this is a date when the process begins that is conditions-based," he said.
How many troops pull out and when depends on how quickly conditions improve enough to show Afghans are ready to take on security and form a stable government, he said.
"What the president very much wants from me and what we talked about in the Oval Office is the responsibility of a military commander on the ground to provide his best professional military advice," Petraeus said. "That's what I owe the country and our troopers who are fighting hard on the ground".
Petraeus said he is focused on preventing Afghanistan from once again becoming a sanctuary for extremists, as it had been before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. UPI
