withdrawal of Americans from Afghanistan

The intention of the U.S. to end military operations by troops in Afghanistan before the specified compliance with the Principles of the Asian country (late 2014) expressed Wednesday the head of American diplomacy.
The Leon Panetta told reporters en route to the NATO Summit in Brussels that his country will seek to remove in 2013 parts of the U.S. Army from the "battlefield", while gaining a "fill-utility role" in Security.
"We hope that by mid 2013 we will be able to move to a transition from a role on the battlefield in this training and consultancy on security forces in Afghanistan," he said.
"This does not mean that we will not be at all times ready for battle. We are in constant readiness to defend ourselves, "he added.
This is the first top U.S. official that leaves open the possibility of amending the timetable agreed with the president of the Asian country, Hamid Karzai.
Currently across the Afghan territory are 99,000 American soldiers, some 22,000 to leave in 2012 for the U.S.. In early 2013 their number will exceed 68,000.