U.S. eyes quicker shift away from Afghan combat

In the face of mounting dissatisfaction with the decade-old war in Afghanistan, the U.S. has long vowed to shift from combat to an advisory and training role, but that shift could come much sooner that previously planned, Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

The shift to training and supporting the Afghan military could come as soon as next year, the Journal reports -- two years ahead of a 2014 deadline for ending combat operations -- and could help speed up the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

The scenario is part of high-level discussions between the Obama administration and military officials, but no final decisions have been made.

The discussions come just weeks after the administration said it would made good on President George W. Bush's agreement to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of the year. Obama's push for a longer stay in Iraq was derailed when the Iraqi government would not agree to grant immunity to U.S. troops who commit crimes there.

U.S. diplomatic and military officials have for years emphasized plans for Afghan security forces to "take the lead" in their own country, but the Afghan forces have been criticized as inadequate and sometimes hapless.

And U.S. defense officials who spoke to the Journal stressed that the shift to a less combat-intensive role did not mean an end to the war.

"It's not like we're ... going to move to train, advise and assist and just let the Afghans do everything on their own and we're not fighting bad guys," an unnamed senior official said, and the U.S. is not considering "ending the war in Afghanistan earlier than expected."