WASHINGTON - Despite an uptick in violence in recent weeks, the Pentagon on Monday said it was encouraged by the progress made by Afghan forces and renewed its commitment to the Lisbon timeline for completing security transition by 2014.
“There has been no change in our strategy. ANSF is working quite affectively at the moment in Afghanistan. We remain committed to the Lisbon timeline -- transition ending the end of 2014,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

He believed that strong progress was being made in the war-torn country, acknowledging that risk could never be brought down to zero in a war zone. Of recent attacks on US troops, he said literally hundreds and thousands of Afghans forces were partnered with American and ISAF personnel.

“There are some bad apples regrettably, but the number is relatively small. The number of incidents was tragic. It is also good to know that the response to these attacks has often come from the Afghans themselves,” he said.

Even in the absence of an Afghan defense minister, the Pentagon spokesman said they remained focused on maintaining close co-ordination with top officials in Kabul. “There has been a transition in the military leadership. This is a decision made inside the Afghan government. It’s their right to make such a decision...” (Pajhwok)