US forces to stay in Afghanistan after 2014

WASHINGTON (PAN, the Pentagon confirmed on Monday American military personnel would stay in the country after the completion of security transition by the end of 2014.

“I am not going to talk about what is ruled in and ruled out today…. Initially yes, we will have some forces in 2014. I am not prepared to talk what that is going to look like,” Pentagon spokesman Steve Warren told an off-camera news conference.

“We outline the broader idea as we transition security to Afghan lead, we will have a force of some size which would continue to train or continue to advise and assist the Afghans as they take the entire security (responsibility) by 2014,” he said.

Defense ministers of NATO countries are meeting in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss security transition and a post-2014 presence in Afghanistan.

They were likely to talk about the larger game-plan in Afghanistan, Warren said, remarking: “There is a lot of talk and desire about the number coming out of it. But I think the focus is going to be a bigger picture game-plan of what the train and equip force would look like in 2014.”

Regarding the political change in Pakistan. “It is little early to see if there is going to be change in dynamics right now.”

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