U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday he is confident that Afghans can start taking control of their own security in July. Gates, briefing reporters at the White House on the Obama administration's annual review of the Afghanistan war, said such a transition is the only way for U.S. and coalition forces to end their combat commitments in the region. The pace for withdrawing U.S. soldiers from Afghanistan depends on conditions on the ground, with the U.S. drawdown accelerating as Afghan security forces continue to improve, Gates said. Strengthening Afghan forces and weakening the Taliban is “the path out,” he said. President Barack Obama has ordered U.S. forces to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan in July, but the scope and pace of the withdrawal remain unclear. Obama wants Afghans to take full control of their security by the end of 2014. The United States must not allow public opinion sway its commitment to Afghanistan, Gates said, adding it is the responsibility of leaders to focus on the public interest and the long-term implications of U.S. involvement in the region. According to Gates, Pakistan needs to do more to control the flow of extremists along its porous border with Afghanistan. While he noted some successful major anti-insurgent operations by the Pakistani military and acknowledged the strain on authorities from this year's massive flooding, Gates said, “we believe the Pakistanis can and must do more to shut down the flow of insurgents across the border.”
