There Will Be No Handover Of Security To Afghan Forces This Year

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, International Assistance Security Force, salutes as 400 Afghan National Army noncommissioned officer recruits recite the oath of enlistment on Camp Ghazi in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 15, 2010. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez

Plan To Begin Afghan Security Handover This Year Dropped -- The Guardian

Exclusive: Change at Kabul conference reflects US commander's belief Afghanistan is too weak to take control.

Plans to begin handing control of provinces in Afghanistan to Afghan security forces by the end of this year have been quietly dropped amid fears among European countries that General David Petraeus, the new US commander in the country, is less committed to a speedy transfer of power.

The change of tack, revealed in the final communique from today's historic international conference in Kabul, reflects Petraeus's concerns that security conditions in Afghanistan are too weak for a transition of power to begin as quickly as originally planned, a Nato official told the Guardian.

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My Comment: No surprise .... and even the 2014 draw down date is too optimistic. But this will all be buried in today's news.