When will US troops be pulled out of Afghanistan?

A military mission that started more than a decade ago could be ending earlier than expected. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the United States and NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, want to end their combat mission in Afghanistan next year.
    That’s earlier than the current deadline for troops to be out by 2014. U.S. officials say the plan is what they’re hoping to do. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he hopes the mission will shift to a training and advisory role in 2013. (7) Nothing is final yet, but some U.S. politicians say there’s no reason to change the timeframe. A leaked NATO report has raised concerns about what will happen in Afghanistan once coalition troops pull out. The report suggests the Taliban are confident they will be ready to take over. (8) Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney slammed Defense Secretary Panetta for publicly revealing U.S. plans to end the combat mission early.
    U.S. officials say no plans for the mission in Afghanistan will be final until a NATO meeting in May.
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