Updated on
Summary
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that it was too early to set a timeline to transfer security duties from NATO-led troops to Afghan forces, as proposed by Britain. I think I would rather have those on the ground in Afghanistan make the judgment call about when a province or a district was ready to be turned over, rather than specific dates, Gates told a news conference in Washington. Asked about British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's proposal for a timetable for a gradual security handover from 2010 to be announced at a London conference in January, Gates said: I think it's too early to say. A handover could occur in some Afghan provinces and districts relatively soon and Washington and its allies wanted to see Kabul take the lead for security as soon as possible, Gates said. But it would be counterproductive to transfer that responsibility before the Afghans were ready and had the capacity to sustain the security when we turn it over. Gates cited Iraq as a model, where US forces have gradually shifted security responsibility to Baghdad government forces over the past two years. Brown suggested on Monday a timeframe for handing over security district by district, starting as early as 2010 could be drawn up in the new year.
