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Yesterday sh at a news conference with russian president medvedev, the president was focused on the war in afghanistan insisting the change of commander does not mean a change in strategy. the president dismissed suggests that it would shake up his time for withdrawal u.s. troops set to begin next summer. >> we did not say that starting july in 2011 suddenly there would be no troops from the united states or allied countries in afghanistan. we didn't say we would be switching off the lights and closing the door behind us. we said as we begin a transition phase in which the afghan government is...

Yesterday at a news conference with russian president the president was focused on the war in afghanistan insisting the change of commander does not mean a change in strategy. the president dismissing suggestions that the leadership shake-up would affect his timetable for the withdrawal of u.s. troops set to begin next summer. >> we did not say that starting july in 2011, suddenly, there would be no troops from the united states or allied countries in afghanistan. we didn't say we would be switching off the lights and closing the door behind us. we said as we began a transition phase in which ...

Drawdown of troops but the president is clearly giving the new guy some wiggle room. >> we did not say that starting july 2011 suddenly there would be no troops from the united states or allied countries in afghanistan. we didn't say we'd be switching out the lights and closing the door behind us. we said as we begin a transition phase in which the afghan government is taking on more and more responsibility. >> dan is a former foreign policy adviser to president george w. bush. he's now senior fellow for middle eastern studies at the council on foreign relations. >> good to see you, chris. tha...

Turning over more and more security that we have built-up. but we are not sud len -- suddenly as of july 2011 finished with afghanistan. >> today, he was asked a similar question. >> i did not say we would be switching off lights and closing the door behind us, but begin a transition phase in which the afghan government is taking on more and more responsibilities. >> well, john, how much wiggle room is he giving himself to step away from the policy? >> he, the president, is softer there than he was to the earlier question. more interesting is when you listen, again, to the president who may be...

Momentum, and that beginning next year, we would begin a transition phase in which the afghanistan government is taking more and more responsibility for its own security. here's what we did not say last year. we did not say that starting july 2011, suddenly there would be no troops prosecute united states or allied countries in afghanistan. we didn't say we'd be switching off the lights and closing the door behind us. we said we'd begin a transition phase in which the afghan government is taking on more and more responsibility. that is the tragedy that was put forward. what we've also said is ...