Page 35 - Transition Phase News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Sustenance and, we have intercepted communications that say, hey, we only have to hold out for so long. >> and the general went onto say in that session with reporters, that he was marines are going to stay in afghanistan, for many, many years, beyond the 2011, july, 2011 deadline, for that transition phase, set by the president. so, it wasn't as if the general was signalling, that this is going to be an immediate and rapid and possibly dangerous pullout for u.s. forces, come july 2011, he was saying, in fact, there is some sense a of -- of battlefield commanders, al qaeda fighters are hunkeri...

Offering new insight into next year's troop withdrawal from afghanistan. defense secretary robert gates and both chiefs chairman mike mullin making the sunday talk show rounds today. the two also reacting to the recent leak of thousands of classified afghan war documents on wikileaks. malini wilkes has more from washington. >> the defense secretary predicts that only small numbers of u.s. troops will leave afghanistan next july when the u.s. is supposed to begin a draw down. robert gates told abc the way to improve security in afghanistan is to degrade the taliban so they're willing to conside...

Washington on the latest. >> the defense secretary predicts only small amounts of troops will leave by next july. robert gates said the way to improve security in afghanistan is to degrade the taliban so they are willing to consider reconciliation with the afghanistan government. gates says it is the beginning of the transition phase and if the taliban is simply waiting for us to leave next sum mckinleyer they should know the u.s. is still going to be around with "a lot of troops." >> my personal opinion is that -- that drawdowns early on will be a fairly limited numbers. and as we are success...

Admiral mike mullen clarifying only president obama can decide whether or not to implement such a plan. a choice of a strike on iran or allowing it obtain nuclear weapons are two very bad stereos, that teach presents its own set of challenges. >> quite frankly, i am extremely concerned about both of those outcomes. >> the secretary of defense also giving his forecast for u.s. troop withdrawal from afghanistan, malini wilks has more from washington. the defense secretary predicts only small numbers of u.s. troops will leave afghanistan next july when the u.s. is supposed to begin the drawdown. ...

From now? there is pressure in congress not do that and senator leb eshman says he would prefer them stay and fight past next june. let's listen: >> whatever we do in july 2011 will be based on conditions on the ground at the time, because you know, the president made the right decision last december that america has a vital national security interest on the line here in afghanistan. we've got to win it. and therefore, you don't put that on a timeline. >> reporter: senator lieberman also said in that interview that it was quote unquote a mistake for the president to put that timeline in last d...