Americans in Afghanistan to fight through 2014, top commander says
By Olivier Knox
May 21, 2012
The commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan bluntly warned Sunday that American soldiers will face combat in that war-torn country right up to the time they leave, December 31, 2014. General John Allen told reporters not to buy into a "narrative" that the handover of security responsibilities to Afghan forces next year means US troops will be out of harm's way.
"Combat operations will continue in the country throughout the period of the remainder of the ISAF mission, which will conclude on the 31 st of December, 2014," Allen, who leads NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said at a briefing on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago.
The diplomatic gathering aims to flesh out the alliance's plan to train and equip Afghan national security forces (ANSF) and given them the lead on combat efforts by mid-way through 2013. But that doesn't mean Americans won't be in the line of fire.