Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the pace for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan depends on conditions on the ground there. "As Afghan security forces continue to improve, the U.S. pullout will accelerate.", AP quoted Gates as adding. Gates said Thursday that strengthening Afghan forces and weakening the Taliban is «the path out.» U.S. troops will begin to leave Afghanistan in July, according to a new government review of the war. That is the same timeline that President Barack Obama promised one year ago. But the scope and pace of the withdrawal remain unclear.
