The secretary-general said he expected the transatlantic alliance would unveil plans at a November summit in Lisbon for a gradual transition to Afghan forces in 2011, in line with Obama's plans to begin a US withdrawal in July.

"I hope that by November we will be in a position to make announcements as to where transition can start in broad terms at least," Rasmussen told reporters during a visit to Washington.

"I do believe the president's July 2011 deadline, so to speak, fits neatly into this concept."

He declined to predict the precise timeline for the handover or in which provinces or districts Afghan forces might be able to take the lead for security.

NATO officials and some European leaders had at one point forecast that a handover of security duties could begin this year.

Later, Rasmussen met Obama in private talks in the Oval Office, and discussed NATO and US approaches to implementing Afghan strategy.

Obama said he looked forward to discussing reforming NATO and the western alliance' commitment to cyber- and missile defenses during the Lisbon summit, according to a White House statement.

US military and NATO officials have been laying the ground for the summit and a US strategy review in December, with alliance members expected to declare progress in the war -- nearly nine years after a US-led invasion launched in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

With casualties rising, public support for the war is on the decline on both sides of the Atlantic, and US and European leaders are anxious to find a way to begin pulling out the nearly 150,000 troops on the ground. Some countries have already quit the mission.

But Rasmussen suggested that even if the transition goes ahead, no major troop withdrawal was on the horizon.

Even as Afghan forces assume the leading role in some districts, he said international troops in the area might remain in the country to take up other tasks instead of being withdrawn.

Rasmussen also said NATO was elaborating criteria for transition that would take into account not only security conditions but also the Afghan government's ability to deliver public services to citizens.

The transition had to be "irreversible," as it would be a "disaster" to have to resume the leading role for security after a handover, he added.

"The Taliban can bomb, they can assassinate, they can terrorize. But they can't take power. They can't win," the former Danish prime minister said, as he vowed NATO would not withdraw until conditions allowed. "We have difficult days and months and years ahead, but NATO will stay the course."

A Pentagon spokesman meanwhile said the United States expected its allies to meet a request from the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan for more troops to train the country's security forces.

General David Petraeus has called on the alliance to provide 2,000 troops, including units that could help instruct Afghan security forces.

Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said the request was a longstanding requirement that did not change the size of the international force, and that the US military had no plans to meet it.

"This is not a new requirement," said Lapan, adding that the alliance had merely "revalidated" the need for the troops.

earlier related report
Despite floods, Pakistan keeps up fight on militants: US
Washington (AFP) Sept 8, 2010 - The Pakistan military has kept up pressure on Islamist militants in the northwest despite devastating floods that have required major relief efforts, a top US officer said on Wednesday.

Vice Admiral Michael LeFever, who oversees US military assistance in Pakistan, said Islamabad has not pulled troops out of the fight against insurgents but has had to divert some aircraft needed for rescue efforts due to the massive flooding.

"We have not seen any of the Pakistan military forces move out of the areas that they were involved in the west and the northwest," LeFever told a news conference.

Some "aviation resources" that would usually support counter-insurgency operations had to be deployed "to rescue people and to help" with relief efforts, he said.

"But as far as the number of troops and the focus of the Pakistan military...it's not wavered in the west or in the northwest."

The admiral cited a recent air strike in the Tirah Valley against insurgents as an example that Pakistan was "taking the fight" to the militants, even amid the crisis caused by the flooding.

"So it shows me they are still very much concerned with extremists and the operations, and they continue to do that while doing their relief operations," he said.

Amid fears extremists might try to exploit the flooding to wage violence, militants up and down the country's western areas have launched a series of assaults over the past week as Muslims mark the final days of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

On Monday, at least 19 people were killed in a suicide attack against a police station in Pakistan, where the Taliban allies of Al-Qaeda have stepped up their campaign which has claimed more than 3,700 lives in three years.

The extensive flooding -- the country's worst disaster in living memory -- has affected both the Islamist insurgents and Pakistani government forces, and it remains unclear how the disaster might alter Islamabad's military campaign plan, LeFever added.

"As far as their campaign line, as in anything, I think there's adjustments that are made based on resources that are available and troops that are available."

The United Nations said Tuesday the floods have left 10 million people without shelter, as authorities rushed to bolster river defenses to save two towns from catastrophe.

LeFever called the floods an "urgent crisis" and said the US military was committed to helping with relief work, deploying helicopters and transport planes to rescue victims and deliver aid.

Since August 5, the US military has helped rescue 12,871 people and delivered more than four million pounds of relief supplies, he said.

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