Obama Afghanistan Exit Strategy: Afghan Troops Not Ready to Take Over

Obama Afghanistan Exit Strategy: Afghan Troops Not Ready to Take Over: "WASHINGTON -- U.S. and allied military trainers are making 'significant'' progress on the Obama administration's 'exit strategy' from Afghanistan, a senior American general said on Monday.

But Army Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell said the plan -- to train Afghan soldiers and police to replace the 100,000 American troops now serving there -- is still struggling with high attrition and corruption. It has also been plagued by a surge of attacks on allied troops and assassinations of Afghanistan officials by rogue Afghan police and soldiers.

'I don't want to mislead anybody that there aren't ample challenges ahead,' said Caldwell, who leads the NATO command that has trained just over 296,000 Afghan army troops and police, at a forum organized by the nonpartisan Brookings Institution. But he added, the Afghan security forces will 'absolutely'' be ready to take the lead in combat operations by 2014, the deadline set by NATO."